The intersection of race and gender: Examining the politics of identity in women's studies.

Although race and gender are often treated as discrete dimensions of social identity, their conceptualization as intersecting categories has become central in some feminist critiques of existing theory. This study examined women's awareness of the intersection of race and gender in relation to attitudes regarding 2 issues manifesting identity politics in women's studies: (a) the marginalization of women of color and (b) proposals for separate women of color studies programs. Identity and attitude measures were completed by 110 female students enrolled in a women's studies program. The results of a structural equation model lend support to the hypotheses that attitudes toward a separate women of color studies program would be determined by an awareness of the race/gender intersection, and by a perception that women of color are marginalized in existing programs. Responses to issues regarding race and gender in women's studies are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)