Feminist Research

Feminism is: (a) a belief that women universally face some form of oppression or
exploitation; (b) a commitment to uncover and understand what causes and sustains
oppression, in all its forms and (c) a commitment to work individually and collectively in
everyday life to end all forms of oppression. Source: Mauire, !. ("#$%). Doing
Participatory Research: A Feminist Approach. Massachusetts: &niversity of
Massachusetts. (p.%#)
Standpoint 'eminism: (omen and men are inherently different by nature.
)iberal 'eminism: female subordination is rooted in customary*leal constraints
blockin women+s entrance to and success in the so called public world.
,adical 'eminism: the patriarchal systems must be deconstructed and ripped out at
the roots. (e cannot simply reform the existin society.
,adical- .ultural 'eminism: women must renounce their false feminine self in favor
of a true feminine self.
Marxist / Socialist 'eminism: the root of women+s oppression oriinated with
private property and is maintained throuh capitalism.
(omanism: is a reclaimin of liberal 0white1 feminism by black women.
Some of the many other feminisms include---- postmodern feminism, postcolonial
feminism, lobal feminism, eco-feminism, and disability feminism.
Gender is: a social*historical, masculine*feminine, 2sex-role+ phenomena derived from
social norms and cultural concepts which individuals adopt and relate (knowinly and
unknowinly) to themselves and others. Source: 3lvesson, M., .ultural !erspectives on
4rani5ations, .ambride &niversity !ress, "##6 (p. 78)
Patriarchy is: the anthropoloical term used to define the socioloical condition where
male members of a society tend to predominate in positions of power; with the more
powerful the position, the more likely it is that a male will hold that position. 'inally, the
term patriarchy is used pe9oratively to describe a seeminly immobile political order.
Source: http:**en.wikipedia.or*wiki*!atriarchy
3lternatively, another source about patriarchy is 0:he ;omain of !atriarchy on the
<nternet: ,efutin the Most .ommon 'eminist )ies / !suedo-Scholarship1
http:**www.debunker.com*patriarchy.html
"
What makes feminist research feminist?
:he motives, concerns and knowlede brouht to the research process. There is no
standard agreement over what constitutes feminist research. :he only areement
seems to be to have no areement - to revel in the diversity and recognize that these
differences facilitate and permit different knowledges to e put forth!
*Doing research is a process that involves an on-going series of decisions and choices.*
'eminist research is research that uses feminist principles throuhout all staes of
research, from choice of topic to presentation of data. Methodoloically, feminist
research differs from traditional research for three reasons!
<t actively seeks to remove the power imbalance between research and sub9ect in
order to validate the perspectives of the participants as the experts of their own
reality- knowlede is not 0owned1 by the researcher;
it is politically motivated and has a ma9or role in chanin social ine=uality-
research for the sake of research is insufficient;
and it begins with the standpoints and experiences of women- it is not sufficient to
simply 0add women and stir1 in research. (omen and >ender are not 9ust
variables?they are locators of culture, society, and politics.
@udith .ook and Mary Mararet 'onow identify " asic epistemological principles in
feminist methodology.
women and ender as the focus of analysis;
the importance of consciousness raisin (feminist researcher inhabits a double
world of women*researcher and brins feminist knowlede into process);
the re9ection of sub9ect and ob9ect (between researcher and participant - means
valuin the knowlede held by the participant as bein expert knowlede; how
research valued as ob9ective is still biased);
a concern with ethics (ex. use of lanuae, use of research results);
and an intention to empower women and chane power relations and ine=uality
(new knowlede is enerated when one challenes the ine=ualities in society
between women and men and amonst women - validates a new perspective and
definition of events).
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#ome $imits with Feminist Research
0Auantitative research is inappropriate for feminist research.1 :he central claim is that
the attention to numbers and so called Bhard sciencesB data was essentially masculine.
:hese aruments suest that =ualitative research, with its focus on meanin, definitions
and experiences, was somehow more feminine and better for feminist research due to its
emotional underpinnin. Cet, this simply reinforces traditional gender stereotypes.
%efining participants as the owners of knowledge may e locked or resisted y
gatekeepers, such as 9ournal or conference reulations, who demand common standards
surroundin authorship. Drinin the research back to the participants in order to have the
material criti=ued and validated can increase costs for the pro9ect or may not be seen as
necessary or worthwhile to the research fundin aency. Recognizing the degree of
control and power the researcher has over the research process is an issue for
feminist researchers to address.
Drinin feminist concerns into research entails recognizing the differences etween
women! >ender similarities may not transcend all social locations. 'or some
participants, factors other than gender may play a more prominent role in their
e&periences. <ssues surroundin the race, class or orientation of the interviewer to
the participant are important to address in feminist research. Dlack feminist writers
such as bell hooks and !atricia Eill .ollins have stronly arued aainst the biases
that exist in white academic feminist writin, such as class exclusion, heterosexism,
racism and ethnocentrism. Feminist research can not claim to speak for all
women' ut can provide new knowledge grounded in the realities of women(s
e&periences and actively enact structural changes in the social world!
Source of the previous information: Drayton, @., 0(hat makes 'eminist ,esearch 'eministF :he Structure
of 'eminist ,esearch within the Social Sciences,1
http)**www!un!ca*we*P+R$*win*feminmethod!htm
Feminist Research in Pulic +dministration
First! "e must #see$ the general field of public
administration and its institutions as legitimi%ing
gendered! ethnocentric! and classist social constructions.
&n so doing! public administration may come to terms
"ith the reality that it is a site for struggle as it is both an enemy and an ally to
emancipating the oppressed. 'ntil this occurs! it is not clear "hat ta(ing critical
feminisms seriously can mean to public administration.)
- 3my >ould
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<maes were copied from 0>oole <maes1
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