Abstract

The essay outlines the contemporary debate on the different meanings of the term «intersectionality» both as a concept and a theory. In particular, it emphasizes the importance to consider intersectionality as a process and a praxis in order to avoid two risks: one is the tendency to de-historicize oppression; the other, the propensity to rely upon simplistic notions of sexual equality and autonomy with the risk to revive essentialism. On the contrary, a historical perspective not only helps to avoid binary representations in terms of sameness-difference and/ or inclusive-exclusion dichotomies, but reconfigures intersectionality as a good terrain to construct practices of coalition, solidarity and resistance.