Social Inequalities from an Intersectional Perspective

Human societies and the social structures they create are fundamentally shaped by processes of social inequality. This holds true for the societies of ancient Greece and Rome as well as for the medieval world order, colonial systems, capitalist class societies, and the dictatorships and democracies of the twentieth century. Social inequality manifests along multiple dimensions, including class and gender, ethnicity, racialized ascriptions, sexuality, age, and health or disability — as well as in the intersections between these categories.

In recent years, examining the historicity of social stratification and analyzing how unequal living conditions and opportunities for participation emerge and become entrenched have developed into a dynamic and socially relevant field of research. This field draws on economic structural models and theories of the social field while also benefiting from newer approaches such as intersectionality, performativity, and agency.

At the Institute of History, the study of economic, social, political, and cultural inequalities from an intersectional perspective is an integral part of both research and teaching. It spans all historical periods and connects research on the various world regions represented in Cologne.