Summary Of Kimberle Crenshaw And Collins Theory Of Intersectionality

Sociology
Kimberlé Crenshaw and Patricia Collins’ theory of intersectionality views race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, nationality, ability, Indigeneity, geography, and age, as mutually constructing phenomena that structures complex social inequalities (Hankivsky, 2014; Collins, 2015). Collins stresses that no homogenous standpoint exists for an individual, however, a collective standpoint for a group of individuals does exist, “one characterised by the tensions that accrue to different responses to common challenges” (Collins, 2000, p. 28). Essentially, intersectionality refers to individuals who can experience multiple forms of discrimination when their identities overlap several minority classes (Collins, 2000).

Stigma is a social

For most, an intersectional identity is inevitable, with most older people fitting in the age and ability minority groups among others, which make them susceptible to being viewed as a burden on society. This perception is furthered by the medicalization of old age, wherein older people are seen as vulnerable and inherently medical issues that can be fixed by medicine or a medical framework. These social conceptions stigmatise old age and lead older people into becoming excluded, blamed, and/or belittled by society, ultimately impacting the quality of the health services they receive. Furthermore, they limit the agency of older people, creating challenges to societal integration and a reluctance to accessing health

Studies have shown, by overwhelming margins, that people with dementia and their carers believe that within their country, the associations with those diagnosed with dementia are negative (Wortmann, 2013).This tendency of stigma to promote social exclusion instead of a caring community for stigmatised individuals often discourages help-seeking by patients and their caregivers (Cheng et al., 2011). In fact, a 2010 study analysing the key barriers to the diagnosis and management of people with dementia, identified stigma as one of the major themes preventing patients or their families from seeking medical help, due to their embarrassment or shame (Koch & Iliffe, 2010). Furthermore, Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) reports that people with dementia are less likely to to seek support once diagnosed due to stigma (Swaffer, 2014). Additionally, stigma has been discovered to impact late presentation to services via the concealment of symptoms, and delays in identification and diagnosis after presentation because of the notion that services had little to offer across Europe. Furthermore, some cultures found the acceptance of care to be stigmatising (Benbow & Jolley,