Cultural Diversity and Methodology in Feminist Psychology: Critique, Proposal, Empirical Example

Abstract

This article calls for a revision in the methodology of feminist psychological research because cultural differences can neither be investigated nor integrated without methodological change. A methodology that combines etic (objective, behavioral) and emic (subjective, phenomenological) approaches was demonstrated in an empirical investigation. White women did not differ from women of color in self‐ratings on several gender‐role stereotypic terms (etic data). However, the two groups differed significantly in how they had defined and interpreted those terms while rating themselves (emic data), and these subjective, culturally constituted interpretations predicted the self‐ratings.

Intersectionality in Quantitative Psychological Research

“…To that end, Method 4.A focuses on conceptual equivalence (Sue & Sue, 2000), whether a measure is assessing the same construct across different groups. As an example, demonstrating the problem of simply assuming conceptual equivalence, Landrine, Klonoff, and Brown-Collins (1992) administered several items of the Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem, 1974) to White women and women of color (including Black, Latina, and Asian American). Participants were asked first to rate themselves on those items (e.g., ''passive,'' ''independent,'' ''feminine''), using a scale from 1 (never or almost never true of me) to 7 (always or almost always true of me), then to specify from a list their definition of that item.…”

Conceptual Disruption

“…Survey researchers, for example, examine how survey items are interpreted by diverse samples and have critiqued research designs that assume construct equivalence across groups (e.g., Harachi, Choi, Abbott, Catalano, & Bliesner, 2006;Landrine, Klonoff, & Brown-Collins, 1992). In response to these and related concerns, statistical procedures have been developed to explore measurement equivalence such as testing moderating effects of group membership, computing reliability coefficients, and conducting an item response analysis (see Hui & Triandis, 1985;Knight & Hill, 1998).…”

“…There are several examples in survey research in which feminist scholars have focused on developing critical questions about how meanings are deployed in quantitative designs. For example, Landrine, Klonoff, and Brown-Collins (1992) asked a sample of women of color and White women to rate themselves on genderstereotype attributes (e.g., "I am sensitive to the needs of others"; "I am feminine"; "I am assertive") and, in addition, had participants circle the definition of the attribute that best matched what they had had in mind when they rated themselves. Landrine and colleagues (1992) found that groups did not rate themselves differently when evaluating their genderstereotype attributes; however, there were important differences in how terms such as "assertive" and "sensitive to the needs of others" were defined.…”

“…White women who interpreted the term "sensitive" as "doing what others demand" rated themselves as significantly less sensitive than those who had other definitions in mind. Landrine et al (1992) argued that researchers must take these differences seriously and must develop methods that can better account for these differences or risk deeply misinterpreting those whose interpretations differ from their own:…”

Recherche sur la violence familiale : contribution des différentes épistémologies

“…Comme le suggèrent Allen et Barber (1992), la critique féministe de la pensée positiviste est fondée sur la prise de conscience que la réalité sociale n'est pas, et n'a jamais été sans contexte. Lather (1991) Certaines théoriciennes ajoutent que la recherche empirique traditionnelle reproduit les relations du système patriarcal (Landrine et al, 1992). Par exemple, la relation de pouvoir qui existe entre « chercheur/euse/s expert/e/s » et « participant/e/s, objet de recherche ».…”