International dynamics of “intersectionality” research in Human Geography

The concept of “intersectionality”, which originated in Black feminist legal studies in the late 1980s, aims to reveal how multiple identities—such as gender, race, and class—intertwine within power relations to jointly shape unique experiences of social inequality. Since its introduction into Human Geography, the discipline’s core contribution has been its “spatialization” of the concept. By examining abstract power relations within concrete geographical contexts (such as place, scale, and the body), geography provides intersectionality with a unique analytical capacity, preventing it from becoming merely an abstract identity politics or a generalized critical tool. This article aims to systematically review this international frontier and to provide depth and expansion for the localized transformation and comparative reference of Human Geography in China. The article first outlines the conceptual evolution and methodology of intersectionality. Second, it explores the spatiality of intersectional thought and demonstrates how the theory is concretized through spatial analysis by comparing its applications in childhood, migration, and feminist geographies. Finally, it traces the concept’s path of transformation from academic critique to social practice. The significance of this article lies in clarifying why intersectionality is a necessary perspective for deeply understanding contemporary spatial inequality. The research indicates that by continuously enriching its spatialized theories and methods, the intersectional perspective helps geography better fulfill its contemporary mission: not only to profoundly explain spatial inequality in the world but also to actively participate in the social practice of changing it.