Feminist Research: Questions and Methods

Abstract

Although the dictionary definition of “feminism” appears straightforward, the devil is in tlie details. Feminism encompasses diverse frameworks, ideologies, attitudes, and analyses of the political, economic, and social inequalities between women and men (Donovan, 1992; Henley, Meng, O’Brien, McCarthy, & Sockloskie, 1998; Russo, 1998; Russo & Dabul, 1994; Tong, 1998; Walby, 1990). In this pluralistic context, the need for diversity in research methods would seem as obvious as the conclusion that any method that can be used on behalf of women’s rights and interests is by definition a potential feminist tool. The issues to focus on then become: “What are the urgent feminist questions?” and “What methods do we need to answer them?” As knowledge cannot be separated from the method used to generate it, these issues are inextricably intertwined. To me, the excitement that feminism brings to psychology comes out of the questions that feminism brings to our enterprise. The works of feminist psychologists who were trained in the traditional methods of scientific psychology provide many examples of just how useful a scientific lens can be when turned on a feminist question (Madden & Russo, 1997; Russo & Dabul, 1994; Wore11 & Etaugh, 1994). There are numerous demonstrations of the usefulness of an experimental approach. For example, recent articles published in the Psychology of Women Quarterly (PWQ) have documented how empowering and legitimizing token women leaders can enhance their leadership effectiveness (Yoder, Schleicher, & McDonald, 19%) and how so-called “harmless” flirting, even when welcomed by the recipient, can