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Final Paper: Intersectional and Feminist Lens of Grand Army
Key Concepts: Gender Based Violence & Intersectionality with Class
Quinn Patton 20364701
TA: Kunle Oluwawehinmi
GNDS 125
April 5th, 2023
Word Count: 1449
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Grand Army is a drama television series that follows the different experiences of five
senior highschool students after a terrorist attack takes place outside of Grand Army highschool.
Although no one from the school was physically injured from the outbreak, this tragedy leads to
the unfolding of conflict and unfortunate events that affect each of the characters in unique ways.
Throughout the development of the series, power dynamics become increasingly depictable in an
institution of diverse identities. Director Katie Cappiello captures many intersecting social
factors that are cultivated variously for each character. The storyline spreads awareness on many
relevant topics teens are exposed to such as sexual assault, bullying, violence, poverty, racism
and sexuality. For the two teenage women Joey Del Marco and Dominique Pierre, certain
determinants of health impact their physical, mental and emotional well being. Acts of harm or
mistreatment towards an individual or group based on their gender is referred to as gender based
violence. At the beginning of the show, Joey is idolized by other students at Grand Army for her
outgoing personality, confidence and determination to stand up for controversy within her
school. That being said, as the plot advances her character becomes depleted when she
experiences a traumatic sexual assault. Although the series is centered around Joey’s efforts to
fight against the patriarchy, Cappiello allows for the other students' challenges based on race and
identity to be explored. The term “intersectionality” describes how social categories are
interconnected, and how their interactions shape individuals' privilege or underprivilege. The
idea of intersectionality can be examined through Dominique (Dom), a Black woman confronted
with experiences of financial insecurity. Considering the complexity of these five characters'
experiences with social consequences, this paper will focus on the feminist perspective of Joey
and Dom. This paper will discuss how Grand Army represents gender based violence from a
perspective of domination, and how intersectionality can be explored through experiences of
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poverty. This literature will argue that intersecting factors experienced by these young women
contributes to further disadvantages and inequality that generate havoc and conflict within their
school.
Firstly, gender based violence resulting from power and domination ideologies is a
prevalent challenge experienced by Joey. Viewers are exposed to this idea in the first episode
where the occurrence of misogyny within Grand Armys faculty becomes apparent. Ms.Wilder, a
teacher at the highschool, demands Joey to cover her legs during the school's lock down and says
“you’ll find any excuse to put your body on display (“Brooklyn, 2020” 00:23:43 - 00:23:48).
Despite Joey being dressed appropriately for her gym class, Ms. Wilder uses her authoritative
role to essentially degrade Joey. This scene can be connected to the ideology of domination.
Classical theories examine a class's power, to be the power they hold over another class
(Wesolowski 53). Ms.Wilder can be seen as the ruling class as she holds a position of power at
Grand Army, in which she uses to her advantage. Considering Joey as subordinate, one may feel
inclined to verbally enforce this position of domination. This conflict exists within the
establishment as a result of different norms and a clash of values and interests between the two
class groups (Coser 197). This prejudiced act results in Joey's urge to retaliate, however this
results in further humiliation. When Joey shows up to school wearing a white tank top, Ms.
Wilder uses terms such as “hooker” and “prostitute” to describe her in front of her entire class. In
a time of tragedy where students are hurting, perhaps one's body should not be the main topic of
concern. Ms. Wilder views Joey's body as a distraction in her classroom, however the only
disruption that takes place in this scene is the demeaning dispute she creates. Joey’s best friends
Luke, George and Tim support Joey's movement in fighting this injustice by entering the
principal's office wearing “free the nipple” shirts. Despite their efforts, the boys neglect Joey’s
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rights and violently rape her the following episode, breaking all trust and respect in their
friendship. The spark and personality Joey once had is eradicated and all she is left with is
trauma from the incident. It is said that sexism, gendered harassment, and sexual assault are so
common in our culture that they constitute norms (Brooke 2018). Even after charges, Joey is
seen as “the bad guy” resulting from the normalization of rape culture and perpetrators playing
victim. Similar to Ms.Wilder, the boys anticipate Joey's state of vulnerability to which they take
for granted. This assault demonstrates a wide range of behaviors, attitudes and beliefs that
produce a gendered dominance (Pascoe 69). Exploring this gendered violence within a lens of
power and domination is important to extract the root causes of conflict. Joey's character
represents how such prejudicial acts occur as a means of imposing superiority, and how it is
observed in physical and verbal forms. In a society where conflict continuously occurs, the strive
for dominance can be seen as the foundation to gendered inequality.
The second theory that allows viewers to better interpret power struggles found in Grand
Army is Kimberly Crenshaw’s ideology of intersectionality. Although social factors related to
racism and poverty are prevalent toward many people of color in this series, this concept can be
encouraged when feminist perspectives are integrated. Certain challenges faced by Dom can be
further looked at when perceived at a different angle. This angle would be through an
interchanging inquiry, in which certain social factors such as race, gender and class operate
creating further injustice for Dom. It is said that an intersectional approach takes into account
multiple dimensions of identity, and examines how they interact (Alcoff 80). Dom experiences
discrimination in unique ways considering that she is not only a woman, however she is a Black
woman. This means Dom is faced with further inequalities that are far beyond the boundaries of
just racism or sexism. These forms of oppression intersect, playing a role in the construction of
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how such determinants further disadvantage aspects of Dom's life. Dom works hard to support
her family financially, while also pursuing her own dreams and ambitions. The financial
instability and anxiety faced by her family further isolates Dom from her school and society as
she strives to fit in. To achieve economic security, Dom's mother suggests she marry her friend's
nephew for 10,000 in exchange for his permanent residency. To avoid this life changing
engagement, Dom begins hustling doing hair as a full time job. This commitment confronts Dom
with a problematic compromise between her placement on the basketball team, or working to
make ends meet. Despite her passion for sports, Dom is forced to drop out of the team which is
the beginning to the suffocation she experiences by her family’s financial vulnerability. Overall,
poverty can accentuate already existing disparities making it difficult for Black women to
advance socially and economically in society. Dom's hard work ethic can be investigated when
relating it back to these financial struggles at home. Lack of wealth can be seen as the greatest
gift a Black family can give its children through skills and motivation in school (Zinn 356). As a
result of this financial pressure, Dom's determination to work toward her dreams of being a
psychologist are pursued. Throughout this uplifting mobility process, Dom is set free at the end
of the series, as she begins her own journey liberated from her family's financial chokehold.
To conclude this paper, the power struggles experienced by these women at Grand Army
highschool contributes to social isolation and inequality. Grand Army displays the reality and
trauma that can occur with navigating the early stages of women hood. When intersections of
race, poverty and violence are intertwined with femininity, viewers can further account for the
precarious conflict that exists in this series. Joey's character represents the hardships of being an
outgoing woman exposed to gender based violence. Grand Army displays how institutions can
reinforce positions of power which can be used to objectify women's bodies. Although this
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conflict impacted Joey individually, it striked a movement which consolidated all women's rights
apart of Grand Armies community. Through additional acts of sexual assault, Joeys so-called
“outgoing” personality is overthrown when she is confronted with male domination. With an
intersectional approach, Dom's challenges of poverty can be seen as further detrimental when she
faces interlocking forms of oppression through race and gender. Doms experiences of poverty
construct a ripple effect that not only negatively impacts her, however contributes to global
segregation. Incorporating feminist perspectives to gender based violence and intersecting forms
of oppression toward the greater meaning of conflict, we can greater our perspective on how to
combat women's rights issues.
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Works Cited
Alcoff, Linda M. et al. “Intersectionality.” Women’s Realities, Women’s Choices. 4th ed. New
York: Oxford University Press, 2015. 77–103. Print.
“Brooklyn, 2020.” Grand Army, Directed by Katie Cappiello, season 1, episode 1, Netflix, 2020.
Coser, Lewis A. “Social Conflict and the Theory of Social Change.” The British Journal of
Sociology, vol. 8, no. 3, 1957, pp. 197–207. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/586859.
Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.
PASCOE, C. J., and JOCELYN A. HOLLANDER. “GOOD GUYS DON’T RAPE: Gender,
Domination, and Mobilizing Rape.” Gender and Society, vol. 30, no. 1, 2016, pp. 67–79.
JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24756165. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.
WESOŁOWSKI, WŁODZIMIERZ. “Class Domination and the Power of Interest Groups.” The
Polish Sociological Bulletin, no. 3/4, 1962, pp. 53–64. JSTOR,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/45275032. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.
Zinn, Maxine Baca. Gender Through the Prism of Difference, edited by Pierrette
Hondagneu-Sotelo, and Michael A. Messner, Oxford University Press, 2005. ProQuest
Ebook Central,
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/queen-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4964799.
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Brooke Lober. “(re)Thinking Sex Positivity, Abolition Feminism, and the #MeToo Movement:
Opportunity for a New Synthesis.” abolition journal, Summer 2620. Web.