Contemporary Feminist Research from Theory to Practice: A Presentation

Overview of Feminist Theory and how it applies to social practices

1. Feminism! Kate Cobb & Niki Amato April 15th, 2019

2. Starter Activity: What does feminism mean to you? Using Padlet, jot down what you think feminism means, broadly and/or related to your own research. https://padlet.com/amatouiowa/jp0ypsxswlx6 You can also add images to your response by using the magnifying glass icon (it syncs with Google Image) Are there books you think of as distinctively feminist? When you think of feminists, who comes to your mind? You do not have to put your name. You can also add more than one note to the board.

3. What is feminism? Feminist ontology: a way of approaching the study of knowledge formation that comes from a feminist worldview, and sees things relationally or some say collectively Feminist Theory: concerned with the social, political, and cultural practices of gender inequality Moves beyond the (male-female) binary Critical scholarship: addresses inequality with an agenda for social change

4. We Should All Be Feminists Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche Nigerian author, known for her novels Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_we_should_all_be_feminists?language=en Notable Moments: 9:30 18:32 21:22 27:38

5. The Feminist “Waves” First-Wave Feminist Research/Feminism (1900–1950) Women’s suffrage , women’s labor movement during the WWII Second-Wave Feminist Research (Early 1960s–1980s) Marches, civil and (and domestic) disobedience Women’s Studies: e.g. analysis of social moments and post-structuralist questioning of how the self is formed Highlighted issues of class and race Third-Wave Feminist Research (1985–Present) Intersectionality Global and “Third-world feminisms” Queer Theory Increased activism

6. The Feminist “Waves”

7. 3 Types of Feminism Feminist empiricism = strives for equality Asserts that , with the inclusion of women in all phases of research (including observation and theory formation), gender bias can be eradicated and objective knowledge can be achieved Standpoint feminism = highlights “ fundamental” differences Argues that knowledge stems from social position, rejects the idea of objective knowledge, and seeks to be transparent about the particular perspectives (or standpoints) from which researchers view the world and their work Postmodern/Poststructural feminism = there is no essential nature

8. What is postmodern/post-structrual feminism? Both are anti-essentializing approaches: explores the power of “multiple relative truths of personal construction” (Frost & Elichaoff, 2014, p. 43) Language is central to constructing identity Cyborg Feminism and Posthumanism Haraway: blends questions of postgender biology, science fiction and futurism, and animals and nature. Postfeminism: feminism is no longer needed; mourned or celebrated

9. What is postmodern/post-structrual feminism?

10. Judith Butler Introduction to Gender Trouble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piF4YOiIYS0 Judith Butler on performing gender: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo7o2LYATDc

11. Kimberle Crenshaw The Urgency of Intersectionality https://www.ted.com/talks/kimberle_crenshaw_the_urgency_of_intersectionality

12. A feminist methodology requires... Power sharing in collection and analysis Reflexivity and the right to voice Context of discovery: account for our own role in the research process as embodied actors Relational ethics: recognizes and values mutual respect, dignity, and connectedness between the researcher and the communities in which they live and work (Carolyn Ellis, 2007, p. 4) “Emotional Labor” engaging with others Insider/Outsider status, radical and active listening, self-disclosure, acts of reciprocity, reflexivity “Anti-bracketing” : embracing our own position within the process Dissemination of findings and involving the public

13. Sampling of Feminist Methods with Living Data Survey research with a feminist topic/lens In-depth interviews and focus groups Oral History Ethnography [Community-based] Participatory Action Research (CPAR/PAR) Social justice driven with Non-Living Data Content analysis: politics of representation, symbolic annihilation (exclusions and erasures) 1. Print texts with or without images 2. Film and television 3. Internet or the blogosphere Evaluation research: studying a program, intervention or an “evaluand” to make judgements about how to move forward; problem-centered

14. 8 Key Feminist Principles Knowledge is culturally, socially, and temporally contingent. Knowledge is a powerful resource that serves an explicit or implicit purpose. Evaluation is a political activity. Research methods, institutions, and practices are social constructs. There are multiple ways of knowing. Gender inequities are one manifestation of social injustice. Discrimination cuts across race, class, and culture and is inextricably linked to all three. Discrimination based on gender is systemic and structural. Action and advocacy are considered to be morally and ethically appropriate responses.

15. Synthesis Activity: Applying a Feminist Lens to Your Method! With your book group, discuss the following questions: What would a feminist orientation look like for your method? Feminist ethnography? Feminist case study? Feminist discourse analysis? Feminist phenomenology? Thinking about your own data and research this semester, how can a feminist orientation/lens/disposition support your analysis? Maybe it is already and you just haven’t named it as such!