urban sociology Urban sociology is the sociological study of life and human interaction in metropolitan areas. It is a normative discipline of sociology seeking to study the structures, environmental processes, changes and problems of an urban area and by doin ...

, fragmentation refers to the absence or underdevelopment of connections between a

society A society is a Social group, group of individuals involved in persistent Social relation, social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same Politics, political authority an ...

and the grouping of certain of its members. These connections may concern

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these grou ...

nationality Nationality is a legal identification of a person in international law, establishing the person as a subject, a ''national'', of a sovereign state. It affords the state jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is th ...

, race,

language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...

, occupation,

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural ...

, income level, or other common interests. This gap between the people of interest and the rest of society may be: * Social, indicating poor interrelationships; * Economic, based on structural inequalities; * Institutional, in terms of formal and specific political, occupational, educative, or associative organizations; or * Geographic, implying regional or residential concentration. The author coined the term when addressing the problem of "hierarchy of oppression" within the feminist movement. This hierarchy is characterized by individuals feeling that experiencing more types of oppression lends greater validity to their own opinions. The perceived interpersonal differences engendered by this perspective may undermine group strength and solidarity within a movement. For example, in the 1970s, female identity was seen predominantly through the lens of white, middle-class women, and did not consider that identity could be include additional cultural influences, such as race, gender, sexuality, and spirituality, all intersecting across points of

privilege Privilege may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Privilege'' (film), a 1967 film directed by Peter Watkins * ''Privilege'' (Ivor Cutler album), 1983 * ''Privilege'' (Television Personalities album), 1990 * ''Privilege (Abridged)'', an alb ...

and

oppression Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment or exercise of power, often under the guise of governmental authority or cultural opprobrium. Oppression may be overt or covert, depending on how it is practiced. Oppression refers to discrimination w ...

. In ''Postmodern Blackness'', argued for greater inclusion and mutual support between groups, and an understanding of various types of

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

within the movement, with each sharing equity goals, yet having divergent ideas about the methods to achieve such goals.

References

Sociological terminology {{sociology-stub