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Situating the Research
As a feminist, I see my research as being feminist research, but how does
my research fit into feminist research and how does it relate to feminist
epistemologies, methodologies, and methods? The common definition of feminist
research, for, by, about, and with women, is a good starting place
for examination. My research is by a women (me), so I met that part of
the definition. My research is about gender and perceptions of sex
and gender, so it is also about women and women's issues. My research
consists of surveys and interviews
with both sexes. I also attempted to collaborate with my female and male
participants for
feedback and reactions to my interpretations. Thus, my research was
also with women. Of the four defining words, only one of them is questionable.
Is my research for women? My research is, in part, for me. I am curious
to see if gendered perceptions exist, and saddened
to see they do. I hope my research will uncover the same realizations
of gendered language on MOOs with others as it has with me. Perhaps this
realization will lead to more examinations of cyberspace and create new
ways to work around or remove gendered perceptions. Perhaps it will also
lead to some changed in gender language in the "real world."
So, my research can also be considered for women.
My research most closely fits the feminism and social construction epistemology
in several ways. I did not search for universal truths, nor did I permit
my perception of the truth to rule my research. Instead, I sought the
truths of the participants through interviews
and surveys. I allowed them to be knowers and
examined their reason for knowing including the context in which their
truths developed. I also fostered social construction through
participant collaboration/response to my interpretations.
My research also incorporates two methods that can be perceived as feminist.
MacNealy states that interviews are a popular
feminist method for research, and it was a method I used. I incorporated
the voice of my participants into my research by including direct
quotes and paraphrasings of my participants. MacNealy also defined
participant collaboration as feminist and this was a method I incorporated
into my research. I attempted collaboration in two ways, conversation
and feedback. I shaped my interviews in such a way that there was structure,
but still room for conversational. The conversational aspect let me and
the participants shape my interpretations of her answers and allowed her
to share her stories. I also elicited collaboration through feedback.
I made a draft of my research available to all participants so they could
respond to my interpretations and let me know when my interpretations
were wrong.
My research fits within the feminist research continuum.
My research is arguably for, by, about, and
with women. I place strong emphasis on social construction, allowing
the participants to define gender through their perceptions. I also used
two feminist methods in my research the interview with emphasis on participant's
own voice and stories, and participant collaboration with emphasis also
on their stories and their feedback on my interpretations. My research
does "provide a vision of the future as
well as a structural picture of the present" (Cook and Fonow
80).
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