Lethal Intersections Race, Gender, and Violence

School shootings, police misconduct, and sexual assault where people are injured and die dominate the news. But how are these incidents of violence and extreme harm connected?

In this new book, world-renowned sociologist Patricia Hill Collins explores how violence differentially affects people according to their class, sexuality, nationality and ethnicity. These invisible workings of overlapping power relations give rise to what she terms ‘lethal intersections’, where multiple forms of oppression converge to catalyze a set of violent practices that fall more heavily on particular groups. Drawing on a rich tapestry of cases from investigative journalism, feature films, documentaries and fiction, Collins challenges readers to reflect upon what counts as violence today and what can be done about it. Resisting violence offers a common thread that weaves together disparate anti-violence projects across the world. When parents of murdered children organize against gun violence, when Black citizens march against the excessive use of police force in their neighborhoods, and when women and girls report sexual abuse by employers, coaches, and community leaders, the ideas and actions of ordinary people lay a foundation for new ways of thinking about and combating violence.

Through its ground-breaking analysis Lethal Intersections aims to stimulate debate about violence as one of the most pressing social problems of our times.

Patricia Hill Collins is Distinguished University Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland. Known for her work on the intersection of race, gender, sexuality and nationality, Collins has written several ground-breaking books, including Black Feminist Thought, Black Sexual Politics and two editions of her popular course text Intersectionality, which she co-authored with Sirma Bilge. She is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and is a former President of the American Sociological Association.

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter One. Lethal Intersections and Violence

Chapter Two. Violence and the Power of Ideas

Chapter Three. Violence and National Identity

Chapter Four. Invisible Violence

Chapter Five. Resisting Intersectional Violence

References

Notes