Feminist Methodology 1

The following are the books we supposed to read for Feminist Methodology course.

1. Sandra L. Kirby, Lorraine Greaves and Colleen Reid. 2006. Experience Research Social Change: Methods Beyond the Mainstream. Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press. Second Edition (pbk).
ISBN-13: 978-1-55193-056-5; ISBN-10: 1-55193-056-0

2. Joey Sprague. 2005. Feminist Methodologies for Critical Researchers: Bridging Differences. New York: Altamira Press. ISBN 0-7591-0903-6 (pbk)

3. Reinharz, Shulamit. 1992. Feminist Methods in Social Research. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-507386-X


I will present the interesting quotes of the two chapters of Feminist Methodology books and discuss about my reactions in italics.

We chose to use second (you) and third (we, us, our) person throughout the text as a way of actualizing our belief that we, the authors, and you, the readers, are all in this research process together. (Kirby, p 1) I like the approach of the authors because they value for the readers and also themselves who are sure can really learn something to the readers.

Research, which so far has been largely the instrument of dominance and legitimation of power elites, must be brought to serve the interests of dominated, exploited and oppressed groups. (Kirby, p 1) It’s interesting because by this approach we can expect the practical outcome of researches which always seem so abstract!

Historically, many groups have been excluded from participating in, describing and analyzing their own understanding of reality. In many ways, understanding and going research can be seen as a formal literacy. (Kirby, p 2) It is important to all of us that the processes of investigating the world not remain a specialized activity. Everyday life skills of observation, data collection, reflection, analysis and interpretation can be enhanced with basic research training. By claiming access to the research enterprise, all people can produce or interpret evidence in ways that reflect their reality and contribute to a more comprehensive view of life. (p 2)
It’s interesting simultaneously dangerous. Interesting because research can be voice of marginalized people and make them to come to the context and dangerous because the evaluation of the research will be complicated and unclear. Increasingly, research is beginning to reflect the experiences and concerns of people who have traditionally been marginalized by the research process. (Kirby, p 3)

We believe that different methodologies carry with them specific underlying assumptions that will shape the way information is gathered and the kind of knowledge created. (Kirby, p 5)
Is it true that sometimes choosing a specific method can have different outcomes? If the outcome is not totally different, at least it would have different aspects. In fact, in different methods different parts of the issues are highlighted and consequently analyzed and interpreted.

The feminist methodological literature centered on four central questions;
1. Is there a feminist research method?
2. If so, what does it actually consist of?
3. Should there be a feminist research method?
4. What is the relation between feminist research methods and other methods? (Reinharz)
I like her approach and it seems she has done a profound job on the current existent literature in methodology and put her efforts to find the feminist tendencies in methodology which make be to respect her as an author. I mean when she mentions to this point, makes an invisible authority for herself in the text; an authority that make me accept her as an expert in the field of feminist methodology!

A person didn’t have to identify her research method as “feminist research method” but rather had to identify herself as a feminist doing research. (Ibid)
It was not completely clear to me what she exactly means when she express the approach should be feminist not the methodology.