Communicating about feminism and implementing feminist practices in research methodology

Abstract

This research project is an interdisciplinary study, intersecting the humanities with the social sciences and incorporating aspects of discourse analysis, sociology, and women's studies into a unified project. The study is an empirical, qualitative investigation that primarily utilizes interviews and surveys to investigate the ways individuals communicate about feminism in both oral and written discourse. This study begins with an analysis of participants' anonymous responses to qualitative, written surveys that investigate their personal associations with and beliefs about feminism and feminists. These survey responses are unique because, instead of merely answering the survey questions in a precise and direct manner, as philosopher of language H. Paul Grice would expect, the respondents adapt the surveys to fit their own needs. Participants craft their responses in a way that gives them opportunities to express anxieties and assumptions about feminism, to disassociate themselves from the negative stereotypes of feminism, or to use the surveys as a forum to advocate feminist issues. Next, this study explores how individuals discuss feminism in group interviews that are structured as discussions. When discussing feminism in a research interview setting, individuals use their personal ideologies about feminism to formulate expectations of how the interaction will ensue and to determine how they should behave. The topic of the interview and the interview environment, itself, arouse expectations, anxieties, assumptions, and concerns in participants, and these factors complicate communication. In addition to determining how individuals discuss feminism in the artificial environments of these surveys and interviews, this project also explores feminist research methodology. The study is conducted in accordance with feminist reflexive research practices and includes an analysis of such practices. The project also includes a discussion of pervasive feminist methodological practices and expands upon these current feminist methods.