Intersectionality refers to the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, gender, class, and sexuality as they apply to a given individual or group. This concept recognizes that these overlapping and interdependent systems of identity create unique experiences of discrimination or privilege. In social identity theory, intersectionality acknowledges that individuals don't experience their multiple identities separately but rather as interconnected aspects that simultaneously influence their social experiences, psychological well-being, and encounters with oppression or advantage.