(Auto)Biography and Epistemology

Abstract

Abstract The focus in this paper is on the epistemological status of a range of methods used in educational research and teacher education which may be called (auto)biographical. On the one hand the epistemological soundness of such methods is in question, while, on the other hand, traditional epistemology itself is also in question as a result of a range of challenges, including those coming from feminism. This paper focuses on the challenge from feminist epistemologies. It is argued that feminists have demonstrated that reliable knowledge can only be achieved through a process which includes, fundamentally, the subjectivity or experiences of individuals and groups of individuals; power and politics; and a dialectic of theory with individual experiences. It is further argued that (auto)biographical methods are well placed to include these factors, although not all (auto)biographies will do so. It is concluded that some, but only some, (auto)biographical methods are epistemo‐logically sound. The confessio...