Mapping the Travels of Intersectionality Scholarship: A Citation Network Analysis

Abstract

In this study, we conducted a citation network analysis of intersectionality scholarship. We aimed to elucidate content domains in this scholarship's citation network. In addition, we explored a citation-based genealogy of this scholarship, attending to the representation of women of color identified in prior critical analyses of intersectionality scholarship as key but under-acknowledged contributors to intersectional thought and praxis. We used CitNetExplorer to analyze a network of 17,332 records and 60,132 citation links. The analysis yielded 17 clusters, with the five largest clusters focusing on (1) conceptualizing intersectionality theory, methodology, and analysis; (2) psychology, identity stigma, and multiple minority statuses; (3) sociology of gender inequality, labor markets, and organizations; (4) political science, political systems and policy, including in the European context; and (5) violence against women, gender and health, and health equity. Although some of the key women of color contributors to intersectional thought were among the most cited authors in the network, others were cited infrequently or not at all across the network and clusters. Taken together, the analyses revealed substantial and ongoing engagement with efforts to define and refine intersectionality as epistemology and methodology. However, the analyses pointed to the need for scholars to reengage with, cite, and follow the examples of the women of color who contributed to intersectional thought by actually doing intersectional praxis that directly advances social justice aims. Some of the smaller clusters in the citation network reflected content domains, such as environmental justice and community planning, ripe for such activist-scholar work. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/0361684320902408.

Keywords: Black feminist thought; feminist studies; social justice; women of color; women’s and gender studies.

Figure 1.

Map of clusters locations in the citation network along time and space. Location in vertical space reflects year of publication. Location in horizontal space reflects how closely networked the citations are, such that a centrally located cluster has more highly interconnected citation links within the network compared to a cluster in the outskirts of the network. Geometric separation suggests that the literatures in the clusters are disconnected.