Degree Year
1996
Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Sociology
Advisor(s)
Daphne John
Keywords
Feminism, Postmodernism, Subjectivism, Social
Abstract
In this paper I examine some of the primary debates in feminist epistemology, with a particular emphasis on postmodern epistemological positions, asking what these mean for doing research. One central question I ask is 'what role should the concept of objectivity have in feminist sociological research?' I argue for a reformulation of the concept of objectivity that, sympathetic with feminist postmodernism, rejects the ideal of value-neutrality in research, but that also rejects relativism and subjectivism. Keeping these debates in mind, I will examine debates regarding feminist methodology and the question of whether or not there is a specific feminist method or methodology. I argue against the existence of a distinct 'feminist method' and reject the polarization between quantitative and qualitative research that dominates much of this debate.
Repository Citation
Moloney, Molly, "Feminist Social Research: Epistemological and Methodological Implications" (1996). Honors Papers. 540.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/honors/540
