Active learning and intersectionality

In my Women's and Gender Studies class this week, the students are learning about systems of privilege and inequality. Intersectionality is a central concept of feminism- and I wanted to ensure that my students had time to think critically about what a theoretical concept like intersectionality would look like practically. I decided that I wanted to try an active learning activity. Luckily, I found an activity from AVERT Family Violence: Collaborative Responses in the Family Law System that I could adapt to fit my learning goals. The end result was a fun yet meaningful class activity! 

Intersectionality Exercise

1. I made flash cards with various identities on them: 
   
2. I passed these cards out to the students. I had them in a bowl so that students could pick at random. I put on some instrumental music, and told the students to take a few minutes and think about the implications of their flash card identities. I also invited students to add qualifications to the flash cards, to make things more interesting. 
3. We went out into the hallway. Students all stood in one line. I told students that I would be reading a series of statements. Given their flash card identities...if they could answer "Yes" to the statement they would step forward (toward the wall we named The American Dream). If they were not sure or the answer was "Maybe", they could raise their hand for group input or stay in the same place. If the answer was "No", they would take a step backwards. 
4. The statements I read to the students were from Peggy McIntosh's, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, the Cisgender Privilege Checklist, and the Able-Bodied Privilege Checklist (All of which were assigned reading). Statements like....

• I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed 
• I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them 
• I have no difficulty finding neighborhoods where people approve of our household 
• I can reasonably assume that my ability to acquire a job, rent an apartment, or secure a loan will not be denied on the basis of my gender identity/expression
• If I end up in the emergency room, I don't have to worry that my gender will keep me from receiving appropriate treatment, or that all of my medical issues will be seen as a result of my gender 
• I can use public facilities such as gym locker rooms and store changing rooms without stares, fear, or anxiety 
• I can use public restrooms without fear of verbal abuse, physical intimidation, or arrest 
• You can easily find role models and mentors to emulate who share your identity 
• I was given curricular material that showed people like me as role models 
• I can be assured that assumptions about my mental abilities will not be made based on my physical appearance 
• I can go grocery shopping alone 

    5. When students started to run into the "American Dream" Wall, we stopped. I had the students go down the line and read their flash card identities, starting with the most privileged first. We then headed back into the classroom to discuss our reactions to the exercise. 

I asked the class, "Did this exercise help you to visualize the reality of intersectionality?"  

The answer was...yes! Of course, they could have been humoring me.

Many of the students agreed that the exercise helped them to think beyond the initial privileges that are generally taken for granted and envision a bigger picture. This activity launched us into a great class discussion about privilege, horizontal hostility, the mythical norm, internalized misogny, and the five faces of oppression (particularly cultures of silence). Students shared a lot of very personal experiences, and I wonder if their comfort with sharing was (at least partially) due to starting the class with an activity that required reflecting on personal experiences.  


Verdict: I can't wait to devise more of these activities! The students really seemed to enjoy it, and the discussion that followed had almost 100% participation. Hopefully, I can make a habit of starting class with an active learning activity!