Suchergebnisse

Feminist thought has conventionally been ignored by psychology through a series of mechanisms, including exclusion of certain kinds of theory, terming feminist writing a form of politics rather than science, drawing attention to internal inconsistencies in feminist thought, & using a liberal rhetoric to mask exclusionary practices. Despite these efforts, feminists have succeeded in challenging the pedagogic & epistemological models of psychology, calling attention to distinctively feminist ways of knowing & to how psychology has participated in the oppression of women. These challenges have met with firm resistance, & feminists continue to remain on the margins of the discipline, which offers views from inside & outside the profession. However, while this perspective has advantages, it must eventually become instrumental in the transformation of the discipline. 45 References. D. M. Ryfe

Introduces a Vol of nine Chpts (each abstracted) by providing a theoretical & political context for issues raised by recent changes in & challenges to the political project of feminism. The central idea of a shared oppression uniting women in their struggle for liberation informed second-wave feminism of the 1960s & 1970s, which tended to concentrate on social structures that universally disadvantaged women, regardless of class, race, or sexual differences. This ignorance of difference eventually led to the assertion of radical difference in postmodernist & poststructuralist feminist thought. These new strands of theory were anchored in a wider challenge to Western philosophical thought that revealed the gendered nature of the dichotomies that structure it. Two particular claims were stressed by poststructural feminists: that all knowledge was partial & relative to the social construction of experience. Thus, recent feminist work is described as emphasizing the local & cultural variability of gender in all its forms. Others have focused on the nature of power as ambivalent & negotiated rather than imposed from one group onto another. With a focus on identity issues in the context of practicing feminism, contributions address the significance of women's agency & sense of active subjectivity as well as notions of identity construction in power relations. 85 References. D. M. Smith

Considers the implications for feminist theory of commentary on cyberspace as a new form of postmodern community that stands outside history. It is suggested that the problem presented by this commentary is that it provides for the end of history before women have been written back into those narratives. However, women's already virtual existence in modern communities constitutes an appropriate platform from which to launch a resistance to their invisibility in cyberspace. The daily lives of women are taken to constitute feminisms that already insist on presence against representation as virtual. To develop appropriate theories on the basis of this experience, it is argued that feminists must pay attention to strategies already developed by women to express their subjectivities as agents. The works of Donna Haraway (1991) & Elizabeth Grosz (1995) demonstrate the positive contribution that such feminisms might make to critical assessments of cyberspace. Of particular importance in their work is an absolute reluctance to naturalize women with technologies, or technologies with women, & to resist utopian visions of cybercommunity. 24 References. D. Ryfe

Considers feminist studies of religion as existing on the borderlands of debates over the appropriate methods & objects of scholarly religious investigations. Since the 1980s, there has been a dramatic increase in feminist writings on questions of gender & the variety of world religions. These writings have challenged Christian orthodoxy, called attention to issues of global & cultural diversity, & constructed a notion of women's centered spirituality. Much of this work has interrogated the mythic structures of the Judeo-Christian tradition & has sought to retrieve women's role in the history of the church. Part of this effort has been dedicated to exposing the misogyny endemic to traditional religious practices, but another part of it has been to innovate new spiritual & mystical discourses. It is suggested that, for feminist religious thought to achieve its goals, it must become more scholarly, rigorous, & committed to translate its theories into social practice. 42 References. D. M. Ryfe

An introductory essay to a section on "Stories from the Field" notes that the contributors offer a wide variety of examples of the diverse ways in which scholars in the field of feminist science studies have initiated a constructive discourse between feminism & education. They relate the challenges & struggles involved in trying to make connections between disparate places. In addition, the many successes have helped to develop an effective critique of science & feminism that is being integrated into education in both the sciences & women's studies. A discussion of the movement to reform science education at the elementary, high school, & university levels stresses transformative strategies intended to place a feminist analytical perspective into the goals for education. Ways to build critical thinking about the myth of a universal "Western" scientific framework into the curriculum for science majors are examined, along with the need to produce subsequent generations of teachers willing to challenge the accepted version of scientific culture. 18 References. J. Lindroth

Discusses the social role of the female academic, drawing on personal experience as a white, lesbian working-class scholar. Distant physical separation from the university is but the first boundary between the personal & professional life of this scholar. Other boundaries include those between being a professional social worker & a scholar. In the midst of crossing these boundaries, identity is fragmented along a host of lines, eg, class, sexual orientation, profession, & gender. This fragmented sense of self opens a number of avenues through which to establish relationships with students. Though the reality of multiple identities is configured differently for different women, all feminist scholars must face the reality of the present university context as a social institution beset by cuts in financing, greater regulation of faculty & students, & a more market-oriented atmosphere. 5 References. D. M. Ryfe

Discusses the goals of feminist theory & the potential advantages of grounding such theory in poststructuralism. The aims of feminist theory are broadly defined as illumination of all forms of patriarchy, emphasis on plurality & diversity over unities & universals, deconstruction of male-centered power hierarchies, new ways of conceptualizing social reality, & the capacity for political change. It is argued that poststructuralism is best suited for these goals, & feminists have already appropriated a variety of poststructuralist terms, including language, discourse, difference, & deconstruction. Drawing on the example of a 1979 sexual discrimination suit against Sears by the Equal Opportunities Employment Commission, it is argued that the contemporary debate between the equality & difference camps of feminism is misleading & destructive. Contrary to popular belief, equality & difference are not mutually exclusive goals in the pursuit of women's rights. Poststructuralism offers the opportunity for fluid & context-specific conceptualizations of difference & equality that would allow feminists to pursue both goals simultaneously. T. Sevier

The introductory essay of a section on "Altered States" maintains that scholars of feminist science studies almost never work in academic departments that have many other scholars with the same interests. Consequently, their work not only rarely conforms to the orderly dimensions of any prevailing framework, but often challenges these frameworks. The evolution of feminist science studies is traced from its emergence in the 1970s, when feminist critics of science worked in isolation, through the development & enrichment of a theoretical framework, to the current body of work that has "reimagined the cornerstone role of objectivity in the practices & purposes of creating scientific knowledge." Diverse questions currently being researched are examined, noting that most feminist science theory/research looks at who does science, how & for whose benefit it is conducted, & its social consequences. The dual deconstructive & reconstructive roles of feminist theory in the humanities & social sciences are discussed, along with similar deconstructive & reconstructive elements of feminist science theory. A synopsis of the section's essays is included. 42 References. J. Lindroth

An introduction to a section on "Destination" describes the cooperative work of a scientist & sociologist on reproductive technology as an example of the intersection of feminist science studies & community activism. The need for feminist progressive politics to challenge the use of women's bodies/good health as "raw material for technological manipulation" is discussed. It is noted that the essays in this section demonstrate how dominant sciences cater to the interests of the powerful few at the expense of the many, especially women. A comparison of the current fertility situation of women in the US & India focuses on two opposing notions: that overpopulation demands that fertility be restrained, especially among poor women; & that fertility must be technologically assisted/enhanced, especially among rich women. Numerous examples are given of women as subjects of harm/exploitation, & the diverse perspectives of Donna Haraway (1991), Vandana Shiva (1993), & Evelyn Fox Keller (1996) are drawn on to suggest guiding principles seen as inherent in liberating ways to do/understand science, particularly in relation to human reproduction. 13 References. J. Lindroth

Presents a series of letters between Mercer & a woman named Maria that ruminate on the frustration & power of inhabiting the margins of the academy as feminist thinkers. Throughout, references are made to a variety of feminist thinkers & pedagogues. It is observed that the institutional power of the academy often silences women by privileging forms of reason & pedagogy that do not speak to their experiences. A feminist pedagogy that privileges constant self-reflexivity, equality between student & teacher, & political engagement is imagined. Of particular importance to feminist pedagogy is a focus on power & how it is manifested in academic contexts. It is suggested that this pedagogical form might empower women to let their desire for knowledge lead them in new directions to escape the rigid boundaries of masculinist thought that currently constrain them. 20 References. D. M. Ryfe

Examines how Hardt & Negri (2000) incorporate particular features of millennialism in the grand narrative of Empire. This millennialism is contended to undermine their work in the key arenas of feminist allegiance & Foucauldian power analysis. In this light, a Foucauldian genealogical feminism is advocated as a counter to millennialism. The millennialism in Empire is first exposed, & then the problematic dualism of Good vs Evil running through millennialism & often centering on gender & sexuality is addressed, arguing that Empire's form of millennialism is misogynistic & retains a romanticized form of violence that celebrates militancy & barbarianism. In this light, Hardt & Negri's gender-blindness is critiqued for essentially reproducing a masked masculinist perspective. Attention turns to the logic behind a dialectical maneuver in Empire that pushes the text toward unity & totality. Fault is found with Hardt & Negri's employment of Foucault's biopower & in their casting of the phrase "life itself" into all-inclusive either/or logic rife with millennialist rhetoric. Amartya Sen's (1999) theorization is considered a better way of confronting the variegated & conflicting forces of power in play. J. Zendejas

Reviews the literature on gender & development, highlighting differences between feminist scholarship & that employing a world-systems perspective, & calling for greater collaboration between the two, though not at the expense of their unique outlooks. Traditional, feminist, & general theories of development in sociology are compared, showing how feminist-oriented research offers an alternative perspective on the functioning of the world economy & women's place within it. The micro-macro debate between feminist & world-systems scholars (respectively) in such research is also examined. 1 Table, 102 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

Describes the "science shop" model as a potential means for implementing feminist science activism. The origins & organization of the science shop are detailed, noting that it is based on the Dutch science shop model that has been successfully integrated into the Dutch university system. Special attention is given to how it can be modified in line with theories of feminist science to produce a paradigm for implementing cross-disciplinary feminist activism partnerships between women's studies & local communities. It is maintained that the science shop model encourages people-oriented research, which is usually neglected in current structures of scientific practice; however, it has not yet been made a part of women's studies programs or science-oriented feminist community organizations. Suggestions for developing collaborative interactions between women's studies programs, science departments, & community groups stress faculty development, curriculum development/teaching efforts, & integration of community organization. It is contended that incorporating feminist principles & awareness of oppression into the model would make it an even more inclusive & liberating tool for social activists. 17 References. J. Lindroth

Explores the application of a postmodern feminist perspective to women's lives in the anglophone Caribbean, focusing on Barbados. It is shown that the postmodern perspective explains many political actions taken by Anglo-Caribbean women, without employing the universalist or hegemonic tendencies of the more liberal or social feminist frameworks that misinterpret or even ignore such actions. Moreover, in that it stresses diversity, difference, & positionality, the postmodern approach is taken to recognize women's agency, the power of women's knowledge, & the tradition of resistance among Caribbean women much more than alternatives. The postmodernist perspective is described as a challenge to Caribbean feminists to build feminist theories from the bottom up on the basis of indigenous experience & knowledge of those they are purporting to assist. D. M. Smith

Examines the implications & consequences of reproductive vs resistant or transformative pedagogies. Collaborative learning & feminist pedagogy are critically compared as two approaches to reforming the science classroom. The development of each pedagogy is traced, noting that the epistemological basis of collaborative learning prevents any significant discourse about the gender, race, or class nature of knowledge production & dissemination, but feminist pedagogy strives to reveal, understand, & transform gender, race, & class domination/oppression. The social & political implications of implementing either pedagogy in the science classroom are explored. It is argued that choosing a pedagogy is a political act, because collaborative learning advances the dominant discourse of existing science systems, while feminist pedagogy encourages students to critically analyze the relation of existing science practices to systems of domination. Attention is called to the benefits of a science education that examines interrelationships between natures & cultures, & applies scientific knowledge to social action. Pragmatic obstacles facing teachers who try to implement a feminist pedagogy in the science classroom are discussed. 35 References. J. Lindroth