The application of Feminist Standpoint Theory in social research

Abstract

This article assumes a priori that feminist epistemology must necessarily imply the definition and application of a methodology that is capable of analysing knowledge from a situated perspective, making visible the restrictions of gender, class, ethnicity, and in summary, of the social location. Feminist Standpoint Theory (FST) set out by authors such as Sandra Harding, calls on those who have not had access to power and areas of decision-making to participate in the construction of knowledge and in the social construction of reality. In this article, we will claim for a need of a sociological investigation based on FST and provide some examples and evidence of the knowledge generated by women's voices building on the analysis of 10 doctoral theses. The methodology used is based on the analysis of the topics chosen by the thesis, the formulation of its objectives and the bibliography used. Likewise, we have developed a so-called “Harding test” grounded on her postulates, which has allowed us to assess the doctoral theses analysed and to reflect about the empirical contributions of the research, the feminist commitment and what the subject / object relationship should be in feminist epistemology.

Maternal incarceration in a provincial prison in Canada: A qualitative study

“…This study uses two theories to ground the research methods. The first is feminist standpoint theory, coined by Harding (1992), which recognizes knowledge is subject to situatedness and demands research centre on how sex and gender impact experience and the impact of intersecting oppressions including racism, colonialism and poverty (Cabrera et al, 2020). Feminist standpoint theory requires researcher(s) examine the social structures, policies and laws shaping and constraining gendered (and raced and classed) experiences (Swigonski, 1994), and people experiencing marginalization to be brought into the research process to participate in knowledge production, resisting and shifting marginalization.…”

La No Neutralidad en Educación Social: Posicionamiento de las Universidades Públicas Catalanas sobre la Violencia de Género

“…De hecho, esta última dedica un tema del bloque 1 a discurrir sobre el patriarcado, ideología y dominación simbólica. No es casualidad que nuevamente sea desde el ámbito de los feminismos que se incida en la importancia de estas cuestiones a la hora de analizar y construir la educación social (Silvestre et al, 2020). Ello es observado también por la PE 1 qué observa que "el feminismo es no neutral por naturaleza.…”

Are surveys blind to sexual and gender diversity? Reflections and an open proposal

“…One of the most relevant advances in critical social theory is the notion of intersectionality and the demand to apply an intersectional gender perspective in social research. This approach tends to be associated with a qualitative methodology; for example, when Sandra Harding defends Feminist Stand Theory, she notes three criteria that any feminist and inclusive investigation should meet ( Silvestre et al, 2020 ). Firstly, it should provide new empirical resources based on the experiences of women and minorities, traditionally excluded from knowledge.…”