Academic Absurdity of the Week: Real Chickenfeed Stuff

“Intersectionality” is the post-modern identity politics term of art for conflating the car crash of competing victimization categories. I think. Because in addition to oppressed women, minorities, and genderfluid people, it apparently also includes . . . chickens. Also cows.

From the august journal Geoforum:

Women/chickens vs. men/cattle: Insights on gender–species intersectionality

Alice J. Hovorka, University of Guelph

Abstract

This paper is conceptually grounded in feminist–posthumanist intersectionality, offering an empirical case study that is geographic in scope, balances discursive and material elements, focuses on gender–species relations, and details dynamics of othering and privileging. It is empirically situated in a case study featuring women and chickens, men and cattle in the southern African nation of Botswana. It considers their symbolic associations with certain social realms, their spatial placements into and within particular locales, and the resulting context-specific dynamics that occur and shape their daily lives and interrelations with one another. Such socio-spatial practices are the means through which men, women, chickens and cattle become privileged and/or othered within dominant gender–species hierarchical arrangements. The paper also explores emerging urban and commercial agriculture spaces in contemporary Botswana, which empower women and chickens through increased access to land and productive activities, and increased visibility, status and value. Such empowerment remains bounded, however, given significant material, discursive and ethical implications of re-positioning within dominant structures.

And the complete paper is available for the bargain price of just $19.95.

(Hat tip, as always, to RealPeerReview.)

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