An Intersectional Analysis of Race, Sexuality, and Family Dynamics in Strange World (2022)

Authors

  • Mayza Tanaya Rahmadiati Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta Author
  • Reza Anis Maulidya Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta image/svg+xml Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30998/ex3edb56

Keywords:

Interseksionalitas, Representasi, Kajian Queer, Ras dalam Animasi, Strange World (2022)

Abstract

This study examines Strange World (2022) through an intersectional lens to explore how race, sexuality, and family dynamics converge in the characterization of Ethan Clade. Drawing on Kimberlé Crenshaw’s framework of intersectionality, the analysis identifies key scenes that illustrate how Ethan’s biracial identity, queer subjectivity, and intergenerational family relationships shape one another within the film’s narrative. Using qualitative textual analysis, this study finds that the film portrays biracial family life through normalized domestic interactions, situates queer desire as ordinary and unexceptional, and foregrounds intergenerational tensions between Searcher, Jaeger, and Ethan as a site where identity categories overlap. While Strange World offers one of Disney’s most explicit representations of queer identity to date, the analysis also highlights the film’s limitations as a mainstream animated text, including its tendency to simplify complex sociocultural issues. Overall, this research contributes to existing discussions on representation in animation by demonstrating the value of intersectional analysis for understanding multidimensional identity construction in children’s media.

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References

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Published

2025-11-30

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Section

Articles

How to Cite

Rahmadiati, M. T., & Reza Anis Maulidya. (2025). An Intersectional Analysis of Race, Sexuality, and Family Dynamics in Strange World (2022). Nitisara: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa, 3(2), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.30998/ex3edb56