Epistemological Values of Feminists in Psychology

Abstract

The theoretical orientations and values of North American feminist psychologists were studied by surveying all participants at the 1985 conferences of the Association for Women in Psychology and the Canadian Psychological Association's Section on Women and Psychology. On dichotomous measures of theoretical orientation in psychology, scores of respondents tended to be subjectivist rather than objectivist. Respondents also tended to place more emphasis on the exogenous (external or social) determinants of human behavior rather than the endogenous (internal or biological) determinants. Feminist psychologists also endorsed values about the role of science in society that were consistent with rejection of traditional positivist assumptions about the value neutrality of science. Endorsement of a value-laden concept of science was associated with a preference for subjectivist epistemology. Differences were found between heterosexual and lesbian feminists (the latter group tending to favor a more subjectivist and more exogenist theoretical orientation than the former) and between feminist academics and practitioners (the latter group tending to favor a more subjectivist, but less exogenist, theoretical orientation than the former).In recent years, the traditional view of psychology as a value-free science and of psychologists as objective, dispassionate observers of h u m a n behavior has been challenged. Critiques of the role played by the positivist philosophy of science in shaping the development of N o r t h American psychology (Buss, 1979b;Sampson, 1981) have suggested that a belief in the value neutrality of science is merely an assumption about epistemology

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The quest for ordinariness: transition experienced by midlife women living with chronic illness

“…Feminist researchers are concerned with valuing and validating women's experiences and ideas, their position in the social structure, the desire to bring about social change of oppressive constraints (Hall & Stevens 1991), and exploring women's perceptions, experiences and feelings as they attempt to make women visible (Delmar 1986, Harding 1987, Rosser 1987, Ricketts 1989, Unger 1989, Fonow & Cook 1991, Lather 1991, Crowley & Himmelweit 1992, Reinharz 1992, Maynard & Purvis 1994, Bowes 1996, Puwar 1997. One other tenet that feminist researchers follow is an emphasis on equality and mutuality, which balances the relationship between researcher and researched, and uses consciousness-raising as a methodological tool to empower women (Fonow & Cook 1991, Lather 1991, Bowes 1996, Millen 1997.…”

The applicability of generalisability and bias to health professions education's research

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