THE IMPORTANCE OF INCLUDING AN INTERSECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE IN SOCIAL MENTORING PROJECTS

Meritxell Puértolas, mentoring technician of the Zing Program, and Laura Prego, Project Manager of the Zing Program.

The contexts and territories we inhabit are diverse and multicultural. It is essential to promote social and educational spaces where all ways of being and being in the world are valued, recognizing the richness and importance of global diversity. Understanding this diversity from a non-reductionist approach is essential to accompany people effectively.

Working in the social sector or in contexts of vulnerability also implies understanding how the axes of oppression operate in society in the face of this diversity, understood in relation to concepts such as identity, difference, ethnicity, gender, political, cultural, personal, social and educational aspects, among others (Torres, 2001; Femenias, 2007).

Including diversity in the development of socio-educational accompaniment programs requires analyzing how it is articulated differently in each life, understanding the disparity of experiences based on these differences and how they can generate oppressions, being essential to approach them with sensitivity and understanding.

To address this complexity and thus become aware of the privileges and oppressions present in our society, we can turn to the concept of intersectionality, introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw. This approach allows us to understand how various identity factors, such as skin color, family origin, religion, country of birth or administrative status, interact and intertwine in contexts of power and oppression.

Intersectionality invites us to engage in a deep and gradual exercise of social awareness, recognizing that inequalities do not act in isolation, but overlap and reinforce each other, shaping our positions and opportunities in society. Following the reflections of thinkers such as Angela Davis and Crenshaw, it is necessary to rethink our perceptions of social justice to effectively address the multiple dimensions of inequality. Integrating this intersectional view in social mentoring projects and in all social interventions is crucial to develop more inclusive and equitable interventions that truly respond to the diverse realities and needs of all the people we accompany.

For example, when considering the experience of a young migrant of African descent, it is possible to recognize that he may face oppression based on his origin and skin color (racism), his age (adultcentrism) and his migratory status (if he does not have a work permit). However, they may also benefit from certain privileges because of their gender (if male) or sexual orientation (if heterosexual). This recognition will allow us to design interventions that respond to the specific needs of each individual, reducing generalizations and ensuring that all voices are heard and respected.

If we apply this approach to social mentoring projects, we can see that it becomes a powerful tool for education and community intervention to promote respect for diversity and break social bubbles. It allows people with different realities and profiles to meet and share experiences, knowledge and values. Including the intersectional perspective in these exchanges not only allows us to focus on the individual identities of the people who make up the accompaniment, but also favors awareness of how these experiences and differences are intertwined with existing social structures.

Accompaniment and guidance in mentoring projects should focus on providing tools to recognize and manage the hegemonic culture and the dynamics of exclusion, giving visibility and space to diverse people, cultures and identities, preventing them from being overridden by those that are more influential.

This translates into the creation of safe spaces where people can share their stories and experiences without fear of judgment. By generating bonds based on active listening and mutual understanding, we foster the recognition of diversities and the construction of identities that are permeable and open to dialogue.

Through social mentoring, we aim to foster caring and involved communities, promoting the exchange of ideas and beliefs, thus bringing us closer to social cohesion. Mentors and mentees build new forms of relationships, fostering a sense of belonging and community participation. Mentoring projects work and accompany in the conscious positioning in this relationship, avoiding victimization, paternalism and rejecting individualistic dynamics of non-mobilizing guilt.

In conclusion, it is important that we not only represent the diversity and reality of people in society, but that we go further. We should not limit ourselves to creating actions that serve the majority system, but design situated and critical interventions that address the structural mechanisms that generate inequality and social exclusion. Through social mentoring, we aim to promote justice and community transformation, building new relationships, imaginaries and shared narratives.

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