HDF 607 Feminist Theory and Research Methodologies

S03

Instructor: Dr. Mary Y. Morgan - 130 Stone (256-0096), mymorgan@uncg.edu, 282-3852-h

Course Description:
The focus will be research issues associated with the new scholarship on women and pertaining to
the interdisciplinary study of women and their families. Connection and distinctions between
interpretive and critical science research methods and feminist analytic methods will be
examined. The assigned readings represent feminist perspective on scholarship as well as feminist
contributions to collaborative research. Among issues to be examined are those of passionate
scholarship, the particular dilemmas of interviewing women, ethical issues in feminist research,
and objectivity, subjectivity, and "truth". Practical experience in designing and conducting a brief
feminist research project will be offered. An interactive learning context will be fostered to
minimize competition and maximize personal process and intellectual growth.
Course Objectives:
1.
To examine the feminist practices associated with evolving epistemologies, research
strategies, and calls for social change.
2. To understand how the theories and research methods we use influence the phenomena we
study.
3. To understand how our subjective life experiences influence the research process.
4. To develop and practice skills in designing, conducting, and analyzing narratives in ways that
utilize feminist theory and research methods.
5. To create a feminist pedagogical environment by exploring theory, research strategies, and
life experiences in interaction with others.
Course Requirement:
1. Attendance and Participation
To promote active involvement in this seminar, participants are expected to come to class
prepared to discuss assigned readings and homework assignments. During the last few weeks
of class, students will lead discussions on selected topics and share their work.
2.

Family Story
Select a story, legacy, or ritual from your own family experience and analyze its meanings in
terms of what it reveals about yourself, your family, or your family's history. Due 5Feb.

3.

Mini-Interpretive Project
Interview a class member about some aspect of their life history. Specifically, prepare an indepth interview guide of questions to ask your respondent, conduct the interview using a tape
recorder, transcribe the tape, conduct a content analysis of the interview identifying major
themes. Discuss the written interpretation with your respondent for feedback, revise as
necessary, then write a paper on the major themes as well as your preconceptions and the
interview process itself. Since class members are the subjects for this project, you will
serve
as a respondent for another student's interview. Due 2Apr.

4.

Feminist Research Project

Design a study on some aspect of women's lives using an alternative research approach. OR
Read and critique a book of your own choice related to feminist theory. OR
Plan a seminar/workshop/paper that incorporates feminist theory and/or methodology. OR
other ideas?? Due 30Apr.

5.

Class Presentation Feminist Research Processes [See last page]

Required Readings:
Selected articles on electronic reserves in Jackson Library. See references for complete
citations.
Course Outline:
Date
Topics
Readings
_____________________________________________________________________
1/15
introduction
1/22 feminist frameworks
Pearsall value theory
Jaggar feminist frameworks
Bergh renaming
Flax, 1986 women do theory
Hartsock revolutionary strategy
Gross what is feminist theory
Gordon whats new in womens history
1/29

epistemology

Nielsen introduction
Stanley & Wise back into the personal
Hawkesworth knowers
Lather deconstructing inquiry
Harding, 1992 instabilities of FT categories

2/5

diversity of thought

Lugones & Spelman cultural imperialism

Collins Black feminist thought
King Black feminist ideology
Hurtado relating to privilege

2/12

feminist critique of science

Keller gender and science

Westkott feminist criticism of the social science
Harding, 1986 science women in feminism
Namenwirth science thru feminist prism
Hughes significant differences
Stanley & Wise obscene phone calls (example)
Pugh statistics and feminism (example)

2/19

feminist research methods

guidelines/methodology

Thompson feminist methodology

Klein feminist methodology
Weiler methodology
Cook & Fonow. knowledge... issues of epistemology

2/26

interviewing women

Anderson, et.al. beginning where we are

Oakley interviewing women
Weber nature of interviewing
Measor interviewing
Edwards interviewing Black women Cotterill

interviewing women

Chase taking narrative seriously

3/5

passionate scholarship
collaborative research

Du Bois values, language, method

Acker, et.al. objectivity & truth
Hoff collaborative feminist research
Bhavnani feminist research & objectivity
Armstead feminist research & writing
Shields & Dervin collaborative research

interviews in class
alternative modes of inquiry
criteria for research

Brown guidelines of good research (resource)

Coomer & Hultgren outline of methods (handout)
Jax outline of methods (handout)

3/12

Spring Break

3/19

interpretive inquiry

Hultgren interpretive inquiry

Suransky phenomenology
van Manen phenomenological writing
Peterat, 1987 review of being a feminist
Tesch research experience
Brayboy & Morgan Indianness (example)
Morgan & Opiyo (example)
Blaisure & Allen marital equality (example)
Stinson, et.al. dance (example)

3/26

critical science

Coomer critical inquiry

Comstock critical research
Morgan & Rhoden critical science
Odero & Morgan (example)
Roberts, et.al. faking (example to use)

4/2

research as praxis

Lather feminist perspective on methodologies

Lather research as praxis
Reinharz action research
Mies methodology
Small action research

4/9

issues
race and class bias

4/16

ethics & intuition

LaRossa ethical dilemmas

Shostak !Kung woman

4/23

feminism and family studies

Thompson & Walker feminism & family studies

Ferree feminism & family research

Cannon, et.al. race & class bias

Morgan research w/ Black students
Dyck, et.al. women talking

4/16
4/23
4/30

feminist research processes

Select one of the research processes below, gather appropriate readings, and lead
class discussion. Include a description of the methodology, its purpose and uses, an
example of research using it, and a list of references. (I have a selection of articles for
each topic that you may add to.)
auto/biography
narratives
oral history
analyzing visual texts
drama/content analysis
historical documentary
women's cross-cultural
ethnography
quantitative
multiple methods

Final: Friday, May 9, 3:30-6:30pm

Take-home exam due (>5 pages)
Individual presentations of projects (>10 minutes)

Feminist Theory and Research Methods References

S03

Acker, J., Barry, K. and Esseveld, Johanna. (1983). Objectivity and truth: Problems in doing feminist
research. Women's Studies International Forum, 6(4), 423-235.
Anderson, K., Armitage, S., Jack, D., & Witter, J. (1990). Beginning where we are: Feminist methodology
in oral history. In J. Nielsen (Ed.), Feminist research methods (94-112). Boulder, CO: Westview
Press.
Armstead, C. (1995). Writing contradictions: Feminist research and feminist writing. Womens Studies
International Forum, 18(5/6), 627-636.
Bhavnani, K. (1993). Tracing the contours: Feminist research and feminist objectivity. Womens Studies
International Forum, 16(2), 95-104.
Blaisure, K. & Allen, K. (1995). Feminists and the ideology and practice of marital equality. Journal of
Marriage and the Family, 57 (5-19).
Brayboy, M.E. & Morgan, M.Y. (1998). Voices of Indianness: The lived world of Native American women.
Women's Studies International Forum, 21(4), 341-354.
Bergh, N.V.D. (1987). Renaming: Vehicle for empowerment. In J. Penfield (Ed.), Women and language in
transition (pp. 130-136). Albany: SUNY Press.
Brown, M. (1989). What are the qualities of good research? In F. Hultgren & D. Coomer (Eds.),
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Cannon, L.W., Higginbotham, E., & Leung, M. (1988). Race and class bias in qualitative research on
women. Gender and Society, 2(4), 449-462.
Chase, S.E. (1995). Taking narrative seriously: Consequences for method and theory in interview studies.
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Collins, P.H. (1991). The social construction of Black feminist thought. Signs: Journal of Women and
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Comstock, D.E. (1982). A method for critical research. In E. Buedo & W. Feinberg (Eds.), Knowledge and
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Coomer, D.L. (1989). Introduction to critical inquiry. In F. Hultgren & D. Coomer (Eds.), Alternative modes
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