Feminist research: Redefining methodology in the social sciences

Abstract

The article focuses on methodological debates between feminisms and sociologies. It suggests that before the advent of feminist studies, social scientists had not engaged critically with patriarchal and androcentric structures which oppress and dominate women. The article points out that in the feminist approach, theory and praxis are necessarily intertwined. It uses Sandra Harding’s classification of feminist epistemologies as a framework within which to map feminist studies in India. It provides examples of research studies for each methodological approach, discusses the use of feminist methodologies in sociological enquiry and argues for a more gender-sensitive approach in social research. Lastly, it goes on to detail a body of work in feminist ethnography, citing instances of work in different fields that have made inroads using feminist research.