WGS202H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Domestic Violence, Feminist Epistemology, Scientific Method
13 Apr 2017
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Recap: difference between epistemology (study of knowledge and it"s production) vs. methodology (how research is done / should proceed). Feminist researchers believe knowledge is situated. research, object and process - shaped by culture, history, class, race and gender categories already inform the research. Every epistemology tells some theory about power power produces authoritative knowledge. You are interviewing people have experienced domestic violence (you have power in this situation, you must know how that affects your subject of research). Feminist epistemology always do so in attempt to change something. We define the scientific knowledge production as enlightenment project (the birth of the rationale). Positivism: claims of objectivity should be applied to all process of research process. If take quantitative research must be independent from subject that you research, finding should not be influenced by your subjectivity and bias. Do not want to influence the data with your own bias. In positive epistemology, subjectivity is an obstacle to knowledge.
