Cultural diversity and methodology in feminist psychology: Critique, proposal, empirical example.

Abstract

Alice Brow n-Col I i ns Wellesley CollegeThis 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.We advocate for a revision of the methodology employed in feminist psychological research because cultural diversity in feminist psychology cannot be achieved without methodological change. We review the feminist challenge to traditional empiricist methods, present a cultural critique of those methods, and discuss the need for a revised method to address cultural differences. We then outline a revised method and present the results of a simple study as an example of the need for and benefits of the revised methodology.

Sexual double standards: A review and methodological critique of two decades of research

“…Although this is potentially problematic in any research relying on verbal stimuli (Landrine, Klonoff, & Brown-Collins, 1992), it may be particularly so in sexuality research. Sexuality remains a relatively taboo topic of conversation, with frequent use of euphemism, avoidance, and indirect speech in talk about sex (Mulkay, 1988).…”

The Politics of Protection: Body Image, Social Pressures, and the Misrepresentation of Young Black Women

“…The majority of research with Black women participants indicates that Black women are more accepting than White women of a larger body sizes, define beauty as comprised of personality traits more than physical characteristics (Landrine, Klonoff, & Brown-Collins, 1992;Parker et al, 1995), and consider other Black women as allies rather than as competitors (Parker et al, 1995). Yet other work (Poran, 2002) indicates that Black, Latina, and White women share perceptions of dominant standards of beauty and hold similar personal definitions of beauty.…”

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender immigrant acculturation experience

“…For example, due to strong emphasis on interpersonal relationships, typical of collectivist cultures, impersonal approaches to research, where participants are seen as sources of information, might be perceived as dismissive and cold by immigrants, while at the same time perceived as appropriate by non-immigrant participants (Kim, Triandis, Kagitcibasi, Choi, & Yoon, 1994). In light of such cultural assumptions, the emotional detachment typical of traditional research settings might not be ideal when working with LGBT immigrants; on the other hand, a friendly informal conversation often helps to make LGBT immigrants more comfortable in the research setting and thus makes research more productive (Landrine, Klonoff, & Brown-Collins, 1992). …”

“…Considering how important social interaction is, for example, in alocentric cultures, it is recommended that researchers dedicate some time to friendly informal conversation with the study participants before beginning to collect data, thus demonstrating their sincere interest in participants and their life experiences. Payment for the participation in the study might be another strategy that will allow researchers to communicate to participants the researchers' appreciation of their participation (Landrine et al, 1992). Another aspect of the research process that can influence the level of participants' comfort is the use of formal or informal verbs (which exists in many languages, for example, Spanish) in interviews and in instruments (Zea et al, 2003).…”