Intersectionality and the Interpretation of Past Pandemics

Intersectionality refers to the potential for multiple axes of identity overlap and interact within a single individual, whose lived experiences are further affected by structural forms oppression that perpetuated their society. has been adapted variety social science disciplines exploring negative effects marginalization systemic inequality in living populations, but remarkably few intersectional studies health or pandemics past have produced bioarchaeology. Bioarchaeologists, specifically, uniquely positioned contribute interdisciplinary discourse expanding contextual temporal purviews intersectionality scholarship, which currently focuses primarily on populations from Western, industrialized contexts. The purpose this review is encourage facilitate research To accomplish goal, article divided into three sections: first section provides general overview intersectionality, second discusses examples scholarship related address disparities modern pandemics, third considers ways bioarchaeologists might integrate our empirical disease past. Given potentially daunting task using bioarchaeological data investigate past, also highlights quantitative methodologies scholars used independent, additive individual identities as well multiplicative those same they operate conjunction with each other produce patterns outcomes populations.