Feminist research, feminist consciousness and experiences of sexism

Abstract

Synopsis Movement from theory to research (‘positivist≐) or from research to theory (‘naturalist≐), although the actual experience of research may not fit into either. Our own research experience suggests that, for feminist researchers, there may be a more complex interaction between the ‘research phenomenon≐, ‘feminist theory≐ and ‘feminist consciousness≐, as well as more directly personal influences and effects. The particular research we discuss entailed a direct daily personal involvement with statements about women-as-sexual-objects. This involvement affected our theories about the research phenomenon, our perception of this, and our understanding of the nature of women's oppression. More succinctly, the research and the researched changed the researchers. Our particular experience suggests that `feminist consciousness' of sexism and the nature of women's oppression, as an on-going process of examination and re-interpretation of feminist experience, is itself a crucial variable in the research process. We would like to express our gratitude to Rod Watson and Alison Kelly, both of the Sociology Department, University of Manchester, for reading and commenting on an earlier draft of this paper.