Intersectionality
As of this writing, Intersectionality concerns itself with the unique, intersectional, oppression of Women, Blacks, Indigenous, Peoples of Color, Latinx, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual, mentally ill, or physically diabled people by cis-gendered, straight, white, men.
These cis, straight, white men are also oppressing children, but for the purposes of this article we’ll focus on those who identify as adults. 80% are being uniquely oppressed by the other 20%, who unquestionably hold all of the power.
Quality Over Quantity
Some moral psychologists describe “experience” as something that vulnerable “patients” share but agents or “perpetrators” do not possess. In the scope of Intersectionality, white men would have less valid experience than a Black, disabled, indigenous, asexual, trans woman.
In natural sciences, facts are measured and quantified. In phenomenological and human sciences, lived experiences, the main object of study, are qualified. The goal of such research is not to understand individuals’ lived experiences as facts, but the meaning of such experiences, according to Wilhelm Dilthey, who founded the field while holding G. W. F. Hegel‘s Chair in Philosophy at the University of Berlin.
When the collective lived experience of women is used to create policy, a curious pattern emerges. I’ll explore three pervasive policies and procedures based on the “lived experience of women” that omit men.
Policies and Procedures of Intersectionality
I’ve written about the Duluth Model, created in 1984, which is based on the lived experiences of abused women. The Duluth Model purports that all men use a ‘spectrum of violence’ to oppress women, and this spectrum of violence includes words and is judged entirely on the feelings of women in the study.
It completely omits men.
Most people think of Battered Women as victims of unwanted physical contact. The Violence Against Women Act ushered in an entirely new way of conceptualizing battery, all based on Women’s lived experience.
The W.E.B. (Women’s Experience of Battering Scale) is the standard screening of battering method the MN Dept. of Health recommends for all health care, law enforcement, and mandatory reporters.
Rather than relying on outdated definitions and evidence of physical abuse, the creators of the W.E.B. scale focus on the lived experiences of Women.
“Our approach to measuring battering operationalizes the experiences of battered women rather than the abusive behaviors they encounter.”
Women rate how they feel based on how they feel based on ten leading survey questions.
A self reported score above 20 (ie. they “somewhat agree” on average) indicates that mandatory reporters should record and report that she is a battered woman. A trained statistician or logician could easily find several problems with this scale.
I’d simply need to remind you that most statisticians and logicians are men, and men are omitted.
Assessing Relationships
The WEB Scale, recommended by the MN Department of Health has been now updated to what is called the Relationship Assessment Tool. This also assesses domestic violence and is also based on the lived experience of women.
See if you can spot an opportunity for self deception or motivated reasoning in reporting.
“Everything you share with me is confidential. This means what you share with me is not reportable to child welfare, INS (Homeland Security), or law enforcement. There are just two things that I would have to report- if you are suicidal, or your children are being harmed.”
This is a curious claim in states where arguing when your children can hear you is considered harm.
“The rest stays between us and helps me better understand how I can help you and the baby. We ask all our clients to complete this form. For every question below, please look at the scale and select the number (1-6) that best reflects how you feel.”
If you can’t spot the opportunity for motivated reasoning you may very well have a bias. If you can, you must be omitted.
A Proposed Study
The majority of adults will not be able to clearly see the problem that lived experience based policies have in practice.
Considering domestic violence by men against women is adequately solved by policies using women’s lived experience, I’d like to suggest addressing rising divorce rates using a similar method.
Since 80% of all divorces are initiated by women, it would stand to reason that a policy based on the lived experience of men should determine how custody and financial assets are settled in court.
