Intersectionality as an antidote to coloniality in social work and family therapy

Rhea V. Almeida and José Miguel Paez

Chapter 10 in Handbook on Intersectionality and Social Work, 2026, pp 131-144 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Intersectionality is an analysis of the dynamic interplay of various identity markers across social, cultural, and political systems situated within the historic arc of coloniality. A preliminary overview of coloniality reveals the global devastation of local traditions, cultures, and identities in the wake of Western ideological domination. Thus, we interrogate the relevance of the Western psychological project, including stand-alone models of family systems therapy. We underscore the role of transnational feminism as a key to reorganizing the structures and processes of Western psychological perspectives. We argue that the social location and knowledge of families who occupy border spaces are essential to the process of decolonizing. Our chapter defines coloniality, addressing the ways it is manifested and reproduced across multiple social settings. We then define intersectionality as an antidote to coloniality and offer examples of how it is key to operationalizing decoloniality and liberatory praxis within all realms of social work.

Keywords: Family Therapy; Decolonization; Systems Therapy; Intersectionality; Transnational Feminism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035324453
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