Feminist Research Practice

A Primer

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

• Two new theoretical chapters (2 and 3) provide the latest insights into a wide range of foundation issues with which feminist researchers grapple, such as: How do we know what we know? What theoretical lenses provide a window into subjected knowledge of women and other oppressed groups? What does it mean to take the standpoint of the most oppressed?
• A new chapter on Ethics and Feminist Research (Chapter 4) covers a range of issues that are often not discussed in standard methods textbooks, including power and authority issues in social research and ethical conundrums researchers face across any given research project.
• A new chapter on the Feminist Practice of Action and Community Research (Chapter 6) provides a set of analytical tools and methods that demonstrate how to promote social change for women and other oppressed groups.
• A new chapter on Feminist Media Research (Chapter 9) provides a set of analytical lenses and tools that help readers engage with issues that deal with the growing influence of social media.
• A new chapter on The Feminist Practice of Program Evaluation (Chapter 11) uses a feminist lens to explore ways to conduct an evaluation with the goals of social transformation and social change in mind.
• A new concluding chapter, Conclusion: Putting Together Your Research Project (Chapter 13) provides a hands-on, step-by-step guide for conducting feminist research along with an in-depth example to help solidify the concepts, ideas, and methods discussed.
• New in-depth examples in every chapter bring concepts to life and enhance understanding.
• An expanded discussion of the impact of new online technologies, such as online surveys, ethnographies, and interviews, outlines their use and explores their advantages and disadvantages.
• A discussion of ethics in each methods chapter has been incorporated into the discussions of the “how-to” of analysis, interpretation, and writing up results.
• New discussion questions in each chapter provide readers with an opportunity to put together what they have learned and apply this learning to other research projects.
• New online resources sections at the end of each chapter allow readers to follow up on specific methods and practices in other research contexts.

KEY FEATURES:

• Behind-the-Scenes with Feminist Scholars boxes offer a window into the feminist researcher’s vantage point.
• Contributions by well-known feminist researchers cover a range of epistemological and methodological concerns, and include the personal experiences that researchers have had in employing some of the methodological options reviewed in the text.  
• The book’s holistic view of feminist research focuses on epistemology, theory, and methods.
• A unique text/reader format combines the best of authored and edited volumes, with references, bulleted questions, and key points throughout.