Feminist methodology

Question 1

Sociology criticisms by feminists

Answer 1

Feminists from a variety of perspectives have made a number of criticisms of sociology. These are based primarily on the view that
1 sociology has been mainly concerned with research on men, implicated by theories and concepts that apply primarily to men’s lives;
2 research findings based on all-male samples are generalized to the whole of the population;
3 areas and issues of concern to women are frequently overlooked or seen as unimportant;
4 when they are included in research they are often presented in a distorted and stereotypicalt way;
5 when sex and gender are included in research they tend to be just ‘added on’, ignoring the extent to which the explanatory theories used are ones which have justified the subordination and exploitation of women.

Question 2

Sociology criticisms by feminists examples

Answer 2

According to Smart, the sociology of crime and deviance was, until the late 1970s, almost exclusively the sociology of male crime and delinquency 
Ann Oakley points out, housework was seen as too unimportant to be studied by social scientists until her own pioneering work. 
Stanworth criticizes Goldthorpe’s class scheme for, generally, allocating wives to classes based upon their husband’s occupation

Question 3

Ann Oakley – the masculine model of interviewing

Answer 3

Oakley discovered the main features of the masculine approach to interviewing. She says, ‘the paradigm of the “proper” interview appeals to such values as objectivity, detachment, hierarchy and “science” which take precedence over people’s more individualized concerns’. Although they can be friendly in order to establish some minimum rapport, interviewers must maintain their distance to avoid becoming too involved with respondents. The interviewees must be manipulated as ‘objects of study/sources of data’. They must always have a passive role, and must never become active in shaping the interview. If the interviewee asks the interviewer questions, the interviewer should not respond. Interviewing of this type emphasizes the importance of producing reliable data that can be repeated and checked. Interviewers have to avoid expressing any bias.

Question 4

The feminist approach to interviewing 1

Answer 4

Oakley proceeds to suggest a feminist alternative. She draws upon her own experience of interviewing women about becoming mothers. She conducted 178 interviews, with most women being interviewed twice before the birth of their child and twice afterwards. Oakley found that the women often wanted to ask her questions. Instead of avoiding answering them, Oakley decided to answer their questions as openly and honestly as she could. She was asking a great deal of the interviewees at a difficult time in their lives, and it was only reasonable that she should give something back in return.

Question 5

The feminist approach to interviewing 2

Answer 5

Oakley decided to make the research more collaborative. Instead of looking at the women as passive respondents, she wanted them to become her collaborators and friends. Oakley claims ‘the women were reacting to my own evident wish for a relatively intimate and non-hierarchical relationship.’. She tried to make sure that she did not exploit the interviewees. She asked permission to record interviews and use the information. She believed this improved the quality of the research. It allowed her to get closer to the subjective viewpoints of the women being studied. Oakley concludes that interviewing that breaks down the barriers between researchers and their subjects is preferable to masculine, ‘scientific’ interviewing.

Question 6

Oakley eval

Answer 6

Pawson argues feminist researchers are unlikely to give much credence to women’s views that it is ‘natural’ for women to do the housework and for men to be dominant. Sometimes, however much they try to persuade the women being studied to see things differently, the women may stick to beliefs which feminists see as reflecting patriarchal ideology.