Intersectionality as a Theory, Methodology, and Guide to Social Change
Course Overview
This seminar explores intersectionality not just as a theoretical concept but also as a methodological tool and a framework for activism and social movements. It provides participants with a strong theoretical foundation in intersectionality, encourages critical analysis of power structures and social systems using an intersectional approach, fosters the development of strategies for social change, informed by the insights of intersectionality.
*This course may be applied toward the Consortium’s Certificate in Gender Studies.
Seminar Leaders
Dr. Hajar Kabiri
Postdoctoral Fellow
COLUMBIA GLOBAL CENTER – AMMAN
Dr. Hajar Kabiri is a sociologist specializing in the intersectionality of gender and ethnicity in Iran. Her PhD dissertation explored the intersections of gender, identity, language, and representation in the lives of Turkish women in Iran. She continued her work on intersectionality and social movements as a postdoctoral scholar with the Columbia Global Emerging Scholars Program. Dr. Kabiri’s research spans multiple fields of intersectionality, with a sustained commitment to amplifying marginalized voices and challenging structures of oppression.
Dr. Sila Aktan
Protection Officer
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
Dr. Sila Aktan is a sociologist based in Istanbul. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Istanbul University, where her dissertation focused on power and knowledge production in the establishment of sociology departments in Iran. Grounded in feminist theory, her work explores the everyday impacts of intersecting systems of oppression. She has professional experience working with refugee women affected by gender-based violence. Her research interests include gender, migration, and intersectionality.
Syllabus and Readings
Course Schedule
OCT
16
Week 1: What Is Intersectionality? What Does It Do?
Hosted on Zoom
Oct
23
Week 2: Critical Social Science and Intersectionality
Hosted on Zoom
OCT
30
Week 3: Main Concepts of Intersectionality: Sex, Gender, and LGBTIQ+
NOV
6
Week 4: Main Concepts of Intersectionality: Race, Ethnicity, and Class
Hosted on Zoom
NOV
13
Week 5: Theoretical Foundations of Intersectionality
Hosted on Zoom
NOV
20
Week 6: Intersectionality as Methodology
Hosted on Zoom
NOV
27
Week 7: Intersectionality and the Environmental Crisis
Hosted on Zoom
DEC
4
Week 8: Intersectionality and Human Rights
Hosted on Zoom
DEC
11
Week 9: Intersectionality as Praxis
Hosted on Zoom
DEC
18
Week 10: Toward an Intersectional Future
Hosted on Zoom
Certificates of Satisfactory Completion
Participants who attend 8 out of 10 complete seminar sessions are eligible to receive a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion signed by the Dean of The New School for Social Research.