Feminist Perspectives on Social Research

As feminist scholarship has developed, it has become increasingly evident that the practice of feminist research is interdisciplinary. Yet there are very few books that address the methodological and theoretical issues raised in doing feminist research from an interdisciplinary standpoint. "Feminist Perspectives on Social Research" addresses this need by focusing on the theory and research methods that feminist scholars use to study women and gender from the humanities and social and behavioral science perspectives. Paying attention to the important link between epistemology, methodology, and methods, the editors have chosen readings from a range of fields - including history, sociology, literature, and philosophy - that have proven to be most useful and accessible to their students. The book is divided into three sections. Each section begins with an original chapter, written by the editors, that discusses the overall theme and integrates the range of articles presented. "Part One: Method, Methodology, Epistemology" presents the theoretical ideas and arguments surrounding feminist research; it covers the contributions made by feminist research, the debates surrounding objectivity and positivism, and the question of whether or not there is 'a' feminist method. "Part Two: Issues of Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality" explains why researchers must pay attention to the variety and plurality of women and women's experiences, both theoretically and practically. "Part Three: Applications and Methods" outlines a practical approach to feminist research. Each theoretical reading about a particular method (interviewing, focus groups, survey research, experimental research, field research, and oral history) is paired with research examples using that method. "Feminist Perspectives on Social Research" is ideal for courses in research methods, feminist methods, qualitative research methods, feminist theory, and women's studies. It is also an excellent companion volume to Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber and Patricia Leavy's "Approaches to Qualitative Research" (OUP, 2004).