Intersectionality and the matrix of coloniality

Lisa Werkmeister Rozas

Chapter 5 in Handbook on Intersectionality and Social Work, 2026, pp 65-76 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter will utilize the colonial matrix of power (CMP) to analyze how oppressive forces determine the level of power and privilege attributed to individual and group social identities, and depending on which axis these identities intersect, impact a person's lived experience, particularly how an individual's position within the larger system of social relations, which is predicated on power, impacts their rights, knowledge, policy, and skills. The argument is made that through the utilization of specific skills when working within an intersectional frame, social workers can challenge, interrogate, and facilitate the transformation of power structures that endeavor to oppress and dispossess individuals who are affected by multiple simultaneous social forces because of their socially ascribed categories. It can offer an explanation for people's lived experiences and also make visible the complex ways in which various dimensions of power and oppression can be different yet still linked.

Keywords: Intersectionality; Coloniality; Social Relations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035324453
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