Hegemonic Race and Gender Kinds and Ontic Oppression

Abstract This chapter introduces a variety of race and gender kinds that are termed ‘hegemonic kinds’, which capture the high-level patterns and regularities produced by interlocking constraints and enablements affecting individuals who are subordinated or privileged based on their reproductively and/or geographically marked body. Hegemonic kinds are situated within the constraints and enablements framework and are shown to have a very wide scope, to have a maximally expansive breadth, and to be at least fairly coarse-grained. The chapter argues that hegemonic intersectional race and gender kinds are particularly explanatory. It also considers the relationship between hegemonic gender kinds and trans experiences. Finally, it argues that many hegemonic race and gender kinds are ontically oppressive.