Feminism and Feminist Research

Abstract

There have been few ideologies, philosophies, and/or methodologies as hotly debated as feminism for as many centuries of human existence. Into this morass, add the academic inquiries into epistemology, the challenged notions of validity and resonance, the tensions among the theoretical and the applied, the individual and the generalizable—the often ambiguous notions surrounding the types, strengths, weaknesses, methods, and purposes of research methods—and the methodological tool box fills with political implications and other consequences that span social relationships, communication networks, cultural practices, economics, the personal, and the political. Theory, method, and for some, the scaffolding of an ethical and philosophical framework for living—a way of being—feminism, and feminist researchers, span a wide range of disciplines, genres, topics, methods, and approaches. Frequently elusive and ephemeral, contested and disputed, the aim here is to summarize current feminist research methods that inform and enrich knowledge emerging from the diffuse field of communication studies. This entry provides a basic understanding of feminist epistemology through its discussion of feminist research methods. An overview of current directions of feminist research methods is shared that envisions the future of the methodology, and examples of feminist research methods are discussed. Finally, an extensive bibliography is provided.