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Feminist Standpoint Theory Analysis

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Introduction Feminist standpoint theory came into being in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The genealogy of feminist standpoint theory however began with Hegal’s account of the slave/master dialectic, and after that with Marx and, Lukacs’ development of the idea of a standpoint of the proletariate. Hegal’s argument was that a slaves can in time reach a state “freedom of consciousness” due to their realisation of self-consciousness through struggles against the master, and through physical labour that enables him/her to fashion the world - to affect it in various ways. Hegal’s analysis of the slave/master relationship and the struggle that took place gave rise to the idea that oppression is better studied and analysed from the point of view of the oppressed, …show more content…

Some feminist read Hartsock as a claim to articulate “the” feminist standpoint, meaning there is only one and that it is the same for all women. This type of universal truth claim is criticised as it does not take into account differences such as race, ethnicity, culture, class or sexuality. Feminist standpoint also comes under attack from anti-essentialist who accuse Hartsock of basing the standpoint on biology, reproduction, or “nature” (Grant, 1993) Hartsock’s central contention is that a standpoint does not come “naturally” or is not spontaneous, it must be achieved through struggle. Sandra Harding also defends feminist standpoint theory stating it’s goal is “not to” act out women’s experiences but to theorise them critically and to learn about women’s response to oppression as much as about oppression it’s …show more content…

Some feminists see a conflict between embracing and address difference but still being able to hold onto and keep the concept of “woman” which retains a concept of communality across these various differences. Multiple feminist standpoints can hold the answer to this conflict. Feminist standpoint as a way of seeing the world, naming and renaming experience, redefining knowledge, is a powerful methodology in understanding that reality is an ongoing process. Conclusion Feminist standpoint, as a research methodology, would be very valuable in contemporary feminist research. It would allow for the creation of an alternative knowledge which would destabilise the current dominating knowledge. This alternative knowledge is vital, especially when the dominant knowledge ignores or excludes the marginalised to underprivileged groups. Standpoint forces feminist researchers to understanding power relationships and acknowledging them as obstacles to the production of scientific knowledge. Using multiple standpoints will also help understand

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The generic feminist movement consists of “white, middle-class heterosexual women” (Tong 42). These women focus on their needs, and neglect the specific needs of many women of color, who are often of a lower socioeconomic standing. White feminists focus on liberating the oppressive “housewife role,” (Tong 214) and fail to even attempt to include minority women who may in fact dream of a life in which they were able to stay home with their children. White feminists “fail to realize that it is possible to oppress people by ignoring their differences” (Tong 214). This issue makes it difficult for many non-white women to relate to or desire to be a part of the feminist movement.

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Gray-Rosendale’s knowledge of her own experience is able to be legitimized as she draws on the use of some of these criteria in order to establish the standpoint with which she approaches her narrative. Laura Gray-Rosendale tells her story. With complete transparency, she reports the scene of her rape. And in her own way, she makes claims about what this means in the lives of women and what affect it had on her. And to do so, she made use of many of this criteria that many feminists use to support their knowledge, including: “(1) what forms of reasoning this knowledge claim depends on… (4) whom this knowing feminist speaks for, why and with what authority… [and] (8) what normative framework structures this process of knowledge production” (Ramazanoglu, 138).

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It is crucial for feminism, specifically white feminists, to acknowledge the shortcomings of the movement. Kendall argues that white women must recognize their privilege and how it can be used to perpetuate oppression. She notes that white women are not just “passive beneficiaries” of racist oppression. Instead, they have actively participated in white supremacy and racism. Throughout history, the myth of white women lacking the power to oppress others has been perpetuated.

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During this week, we have covered numerous topics, none more prominent than the oppression of women. Everyone had different opinions, allowing me to take into account different views on the issue. In one of the texts we examined, “Oppression”, Marilyn Frye, a philosopher, debates the subjugation of women. She states the cultural customs that causes oppression of women. I do agree with her view that women are oppressed, but I do not agree that it is just women.

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In the "Feminist Standpoint Theory" by Julia T. Wood postulates, “a feminist standpoint grows out of encountering oppositional knowledge” (Wood). In Shah’s piece, she maintains a standpoint understanding of the subjective disposition of her parent’s cultural perspective construct of her sister’s social choices as compared to her own and her parent’s oppositional expectations. Additionally, she is critical of the disproportionate significances of her sister and parent’s standpoint of the culture of India and one in the United States in regard to her sister’s choice of clothing, her attitude, and sexuality. Shah expresses her viewpoint regarding her culture, her sister’s openness to be “western sexy” through having a feminist boyfriend, being

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The unique contribution of standpoint theory is that it facilitates inquiry from the perspective of the insiders (i.e. women and girls) rather than external categories of professionals or ruling elites (Harding, 1991). The guiding principles of standpoint theory are organized in three elements: 1) authenticity and authority, 2) the client as agents, and 3) reflective awareness, analysis, and consciousness raising (Sosulski, 2014). First for authenticity and authority, the clients ' awareness of their social location grants

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