Lisa Bowleg
Historically rooted in US Black feminist activism, intersectionality emerged as an analytical lens through which to enhance knowledge about how multiple and interlocking systems of oppression (e.g., racism, sexism, and class exploitation) shape the lives of US Black women and other historically marginalized populations, and as a tool for critical praxis, not empirical research. Intersectionality has numerous benefits for the field of public health. Accordingly, interest in intersectionality and intersectionality research has flourished within US and global public health. This review highlights some of the theoretical and methodological articles and systematic and scoping reviews focused on intersectionality in the field. It also addresses several of the conceptual and methodological complexities and challenges of qualitative and quantitative intersectionality research with the introduction of a Framework for Applied Intersectionality Research (FAIR). FAIR aims to reframe intersectionality as a critical transformative tool to advance health equity and social justice action, not just empirical research.