Intersecting Feminist Theory and Ethnography in the Context of Social Work Research

Abstract

This article explores the relationships among social work, feminist theory and ethnography in the context of social work research. The discussion reflects my research in the southeastern Caribbean. There are similarities between clinical social work and ethnographic research: both actively observing the actions of individuals and talking with them to gain an understanding of their lives from their own perspective. Two constructs generated from postmodern and post-colonial feminist scholarship served as cornerstones for this research, contextual diversity and reciprocity. These elements are also embedded in the ethnographic tradition and in the core mandates for social work practice. This writing provides a deconstruction of these concepts, discusses their grounding in the three disciplines, and illustrates their application in the research study through specific examples. The intersection of the traditions of social work, ethnography, and feminism were found to create a valuable research method that is especially compatible with social work research.