Towards a Feminist Epistemology

Towards a Feminist Epistemology

Introduction

The paper aims to emphasize on the topic of Feminist Epistemology. The term feminist epistemologies applied to a diverse set of papers covering a wide range of positions, both with respect to epistemology and feminism. Against traditional epistemology, the subject is an abstraction and uncontaminated with universal powers of reasoning and feeling. The feminism is argued that the subject of knowledge is a particular historical individual whose body, interests, emotions and reason are constituted by their historical context concrete and are especially relevant to epistemology (Smith, 2008). The relevance of the knowing subject implies that knowledge is always situated i.e. it is conditioned by the subject and your particular situation (temporary space, historical, cultural and social) and that standards are always contextual justification. The character derives the connection between knowledge and power. Political commitment to social change is major constituent features of feminist epistemologies and also one of the main characteristics that distinguish them from other types of theories of knowledge (Rosaldo & Lamphere, 2004).

This paper aims at approaching some crucial themes from the viewpoint of a feminist epistemology, which is oriented to a sociological interpretation of contemporary societies. In feminist epistemology women's historical and social experience is a necessary premise to the interpretation of social dynamics. However, the proposition of its own internal heterogeneity implies an admission of partiality and its sidedness of the assumption, while trying to assert itself, but cannot distance itself from any anthropology of identity or politics of truth. These considerations show the meaning of meta-narration in contemporary feminist epistemology: it is closely concerned with the domination-freedom relationship, which is nowadays the individual's dilemma par excellence (Smith, 2008). For women, the dilemma is between protection and caring, subjection and seduction: these are the forces regulating, reproducing and partially solving gender contracts, patriarchal and post-patriarchal configurations in the public and private relations, the ways in cui and the extent to which the female body is accessible to men.

Discussion & Analysis

A feminist version of science should not only seek to defend the position of women. This is not a science that would appeal to qualities considered feminine (preference given to the complex behaviors of cooperation and interaction compared to individualistic attitudes and directive), as feminist does not mean feminine. In addition, feminist empiricism has made efforts to eliminate barriers to the entry of women in science. Female autonomy and specificity as to exclude the activities of scientists has been associated with the unconscious search for commonality and similarity of the women with men (Yeatman, 2007). Regarding ethics, feminist research is still there an original perspective. Indeed, if feminism has as objective not only changes to social institutions and structures that govern the lives of women, but also help to increase by its own practice, the autonomy of each individual women, the Search by claiming that necessarily involves an ethical commitment that goes beyond the code of ethics adopted by the university authorities and councils. This commitment requires, at least, attention to ...