Intersectionality: an Amefrican diasporic concept for occupational therapy

Abstract

This essay aims to present the concept of intersectionality, proposed from black feminism, as an epistemic and practical research analysis tool for Brazilian and Latin American occupational therapy. Lélia Gonzalez’s concept of amefricanidade provides a basis to think about the everyday life of black and indigenous people living in colonized territories. Thus, this concept enables us to approach black and indigenous occupations and understand the exclusion and rupture processes brought about by racial inequalities. We introduce thoughts about intersectionality and coloniality from international contexts contributing to the propositions of occupational therapy. Not with the intention to close the debate, but rather with that of gathering previously started discussions, we conclude that the concept of intersectionality interests occupational therapy because it helps us understand the current processes of oppression in the face of the complex system of colonial, cis-heteronormative, patriarchal, capitalist, neoliberal and ableist oppression, as an ethical commitment and technical-professional accountability.