Feminist Methods of Research

Presentation by: Sharon Bird

Iowa State University

BACKGROUND

Methods are Informed by Methodology

Methodology – two issues:

What are the appropriate means for discovering / producing knowledge?

How valid is the knowledge produced by the use of different methods?

What do We Mean by “Methods?” Methods – the actual tools that we

use to do research.

Examples:• Face-to-face interviews• Surveys• Unobtrusive observations• Participant observation• Experiments• Secondary data

Methodology Determines Which Methods Will Be Most Appropriate

Examples:

Many researchers employ structural methodologies, and thus use methods that permit them to collect and analyze data about broad social patterns.

Many researchers employ social constructionist methodologies, and thus use methods that permit them to collect and analyze data about the social construction of reality.

Social Sciences Require Methods That Are:

Valid – does the method accurately capture social reality?

Reliable – does the method produce replicable results?

Methodologies and Methods May Differ by Discipline

Humanities Education Social Sciences Physical Sciences Arts Engineering Etc.

GOAL OF METHODOLOGIES & METHODS: KNOWLEDGE

This goal is shared across disciplines, but scholars:

Use various means for achieving this goal, and

May define “knowledge” differently.

Formal Knowledge

Formal knowledge may be analytical or empirical:

Analytical knowledge is based on accepted principles of logic.

Empirical knowledge is based on the analysis of observational evidence.

“Discovery” and “Construction” of Knowledge

“Discovery” of knowledge – suggests that an objective reality awaits discovery.

“Construction” of knowledge – suggests that our understanding of reality is shaped (and limited) by our own experiences.

Specific Methods of Research are Used to Develop Specific Kinds of Knowledge

Example:

Empirical methods are used to develop empirical knowledge.

Empirical Methods of Research Involves:

Collection of empirical evidence.Testing of theories and/or

hypotheses.Clear presentation of data.Clear presentation of analysis of

data.Potential for refuting theories /

hypotheses.

Many Also Argue That:

Empirical methods are:

“Value free” and Not concerned with how the world

“should be” but with “objective” facts only.

This suggests that “empirical” methods are not “political.”

Feminist Critique of “Value Free” Assumption

“Empirical” methods and the knowledge produced by them are never completely “value free.”

For Example:

Effects of individual subjectivities:Who decides which topics are worthy

of investigation?

Effects of social context:How does social context shape how

we frame research questions, collect data, analyze data, and interpret data?

FEMINIST METHODS IN SOCIAL RESEARCH

*Feminist methods are informed by feminist methodologies.

Feminist Methods:

Seek to reveal and overcome andocentric biases in research.

Seek to create social change.

Seek to represent human diversity.

Acknowledge the positionality of the researcher.

Revealing Androcentric Biases

Methods must involve: Women (not men alone) as participants. Women’s experiences within social

hierarchies.

Example: In depth interviews with women that reveal

women’s understanding of power structures in workplace, family, etc.

Creating Social Change

Methods must involve and respect participants as agents of change.

Examples:Participatory action research.Performance ethnography.

Representing Human Diversity Methods must acknowledge that:

Not all women (and not all men) experience social world in the same way.

Examples: Interviews (data collection) and life history

analyses that examine unique life experiences of Jewish, Catholic and Muslim men (and women).

Statistical methods that examine how sex category interacts with religious practice in their effects on individual outcomes.

Acknowledging Positionality of Researcher Methods must acknowledge that the

researcher’s positionality shapes the research process:

Researchers’ experiences shape:

• What she or he views as important topics for study.

• How participants respond (e.g., in face to face interviews).

• How she or he interprets data.

Conclusions

Most any method of research can be used to attain feminist (gender justice) goals.

Method depends on specific methodology and research questions.

Feminist methodologies and methods assume that knowledge is socially constructed.

Developing the most accurate and complete “knowledge” requires use of methods that reveal and embrace diversity of social experience.