Distinctive Contribution Of A Feminist Methodology Sociology Essay

Distinctive Contribution Of A Feminist Methodology Sociology Essay This paper examines the distinctive contribution of a feminist methodology in social science research. The Introduction outlines both the historical and future perspectives. The paper is then divided into two distinct parts (1) Feminist Research What this means in terms of social science research, the methods used together with the challenges and choices involved. Concluding with the epistemological issues raised by doing feminist research (2) considers the different perspectives and critique of conventional research. This illustrated by appropriate case study examples. Most researchers in sociology tend to agree that there is no single distinct feminist methodology. There is more a collective consciousness that was born from feminist movements in the 1960s and 1970s where a group of women talked openly, developing a mode of inquiry that challenged the conventional norms of research. These women collectively became known as feminists and enlightened individuals that formed a new bas is for knowledge. Although the original works were conducted outside of an academic setting, it soon became apparent that there was a lack of feminine representation in mainstream sociology or social science. (Devault 1996). Over the last 25 years female sociologists have made significant advances in pushing back the prejudices against women and in general interpreting the workings of society. Feminism was essentially born from a movement and a belief in resolving gender inequalities. Within the general claims to male dominance in social theory, three challenges have emerged (i) the criticism against that of female knowledge and its inability to demonstrate adequate work that illustrates scientific or unbiased knowledge. This resulted in feminists coming under scrutiny in order to demonstrate abilities to rationalise knowledge, perform verification, subjectivity and freedom from political bias. Secondly, how different influences shaped womens lives. Examples cited included that of cultural divisions, social divisions and power relations (Caroline RamazanoÇlu 2004). The danger here is one of stereotyping and simply branding women as one gender that provides a uniform result. The third challenge intertwines that of knowledge and gender whereby in essence women are taken for granted. In 1987 Sandra Harding (Harding 1987) provided insight into the difference between that of Method, Methodology and Epistemology. She equated Epistemology to that of a theory of knowledge with the objective of answering specific questions. Further, that there are two distinct epistemologies namely that of a Feminist empiricism and a Feminist Standpoint. The empirical part is that where a response is provided to bias and traditional responses (Harding 1987). Whereas, standpoint refers to a specific feminist opinion founded upon an explanation of knowledge. In order to understand and complete a feminist standpoint the reader needs to become more involved with the intellectual and political struggles that a womens experience is built upon Sandra Hardings views on Standpoint Epistemology focused more on the concepts of objectivity. Harding advocated a new concept of strong objectivity, as opposed to that of the weak concept which she referred to as objectivism. She stated that objectivity must contain all social values and interests from the research that is carried out. She was aware that certain social values could adversely impact the research and cause potential distortions. As such Harding viewed traditional research concepts and objectivity as the denial of cultures best beliefs (knowledge), whereas the new version fully embraces both political and historical origins. Harding believed that her new theory holds validity, particularly from the feminist standpoint i.e. women are part of an oppressed group and as such they approach research problems in a less arbitrary way. They are more likely to evaluate theories that might otherwise be overlooked or denied by more traditional concepts or viewpoints. Harding states that that the standpoint has a substantial foundation in the empirical experiences of women and although this may not constitute a foundation of knowledge, nevertheless it does create a more diverse contribution leading towards increased objectivity. (Stanley 1990). Historically the most common expression of female action has been associated with that of liberation and the emancipation of women. This has ranged from the concept of radical insistence, to clarifying the purpose of research and ultimately to transformation in terms of political action. It was Maria Mies that proposed feminist research should be consistent with the overall political goals and aspirations of women. Hence, there needs to be a full integration of social and political; action appropriate to the emancipation of women. (Mary Margaret Fonow, Beyond methodology: feminist scholarship as lived research 1991). FEMINIST RESEARCH Feminist research can essentially be defined as research conducted by what has become known as feminists, essentially drawing upon experiences of women in what is perceived as a male dominated world. The objective of research is based the creation of useful knowledge in order to make added contributions by different perspectives of thought. Feminism is based upon a praxis of women sharing the same agenda with men and overcoming the struggle relative to gender, race and class. The foundation of this was really built in the 1980s. Feminist research has since become more focused on how the lives of women have become materially altered by men and the development of strategies in order to resist this process (Mary Maynard 2005). Feminist research in general terms has had a lack of agreement to what precisely defines feminist theory and practice. As such there is not really a single unifying theory. It was Patricia Maguire (Breyton 1997) that offered the premise that feminism is (i) An understanding and belief that women face some form of oppression (ii) A commitment to understand female oppression and exploitation in all of its forms (iii) A commitment towards elimination of all forms of female oppression. (Breyton 1997). FEMINIST METHODS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH: Feminist methods may have four main objectives: (i) the ability to uncover and overcome types of bias in research (ii) The ability to detect and create social change (iii) a concept or method to illustrate human diversity (iv) An acknowledgement of the credentials and position of the researcher. In order to create social change any method must include and respect the participants as change agents. The method needs to acknowledge diversity and that not all women see the social world in the same way e.g. the method approach to interviews and inquiry that explore the experiences of different religions. (Sprague 2005)i.e. evidence has been presented to support theory presented. Feminist studies use both qualitative and quantitative research techniques, although qualitative research is more readily used. The term methodology relates to more of a process of how to conduct research i.e. what you need to select, empirical study of what to observe, what to measure and how to conduct analysis. The method id more related to the precise technique of carrying out the study. (Sprague 2005) A common assumption has been that methodology and epistemology are identical. This has created a relatively narrow technical approach towards carrying out and conducting research. The concept of methodology essentially opens the way for conducting choice i.e. the implications of what we should do and how we might do it. It facilitates questions on data collection and assimilation. As such methodology paves the way for critical reflection and creativity within the social sciences. THE CHALLENGES AND CHOICES: Feminist researchers have taken very different approaches to the adoption of methodology. As such they have adopted differing means to the acquisition and validation of knowledge. This has tended to lean towards a more scientific and evidential base of presenting knowledge. This has avoided the more serious challenges of refuting feminist research and rejecting it on the basis that it contains no scientific method. The example being the study into child abuse, as such it never becomes a clear cut case but contains many complex shades of grey and is nearly always disputable. In many situations feminist researchers are particularly vulnerable in this regard. (Caroline RamazanoÇlu 2004). In current terms it is important to recognise that a large number of women are employed in science, engineering and academic positions. As such they offer a diverse range of opinions on a wide range of subject matter. The female positions tend to have two distinct types of focus (i) that engaged with the sciences and (ii) that focused upon society. Researchers have emerged from former marginalised groups and as such have had a profound way of changing the pattern of inquiry and thought process. There are still those however that holds the opinion that feminism is a threat to the objectivity of science. Sandra Harding pointed out that if all knowledge is socially constructed it will pose a major threat and challenge to science. For example with most scientists the notion that their views of the natural world are subjective is counter to their professional training. (Wyer 2008) It is important to note that the feminist researchers have made a significant impact over the last thirty yea rs. This has included a significant contribution to methodologies in the social sciences; particularly responding to the challenge of how women have been silenced in both society and research. The feminists have obtained significant success in bringing about social change and creating a degree of equity in both professional and personal lives. Whilst much of the success has been in the first world countries, there still remains a significant challenge for women in the third world and those emerging economies. In particular the native women of Africa, the women in the Islamic communities and others in the emerging countries like India and China. LEADING CONTRIBUTIONS: Early contributions in the 1970s were made by feminist sociologists that include the likes of Marcia Millman and Rosebeth Moss Kanter.  [1]  They made a number of suppositions in sociology that focused on issues or problems with existing use of sociological methods. In essence they objected to how assumptions to sociological theories manifested themselves. They challenged the empirical views of male sociologists and demonstrated a new vision as seen purely from the female perspective. (Harding 1987). The researcher and author Carol Gilligan  [2]  [In a different voice: Psychological Theory and Womens Development] agreed the point that conventional theorists are wrong to dismiss the wisdom of women on grounds of lower maturity. Gilligan asked that we listen to women in their different views and not try to compartmentalize them but credit women for the significant contributions over many disciplines in the sciences and the arts. (Harding 1987). Evelyn Fox Keller  [3]  had completed a great deal of ground breaking work that exposed sexual bias in the sciences. She predicted that women needed to be careful in rejecting concepts of objectivity and rationality as they would not be regarded as the icons for creating a new frontier but were more likely to be doomed and marginalized outside of the political mainstream. Fox herself later found herself in the dilemma of having to choose between feminism and science. Fox stated that the more we questioned methodology the greater it generated papers on epistemology and as such methodology became an end-in-itself. (Winnie Tomm 1989). Maria Mies  [4]  (McDonald 2004)concluded that the quantitative survey method is itself not free from androcentric bias, further there is a contradiction between the prevalent theories of social science, methodology and the political aims of women (McDonald 2004). Meis argued that if we revert to these old traditional concepts they will again be turned into instruments of repression new wine should not be poured into old bottles (McDonald 2004) One of the most influential people in the field of standpoint epistemology was that of Dorothy E Smith. Smith is famous throughout the world as a developer of theories and as such she has advanced the academic position from a feminist standpoint. Smith developed theories and concepts around the subject matter of gender and particularly that of the ruling texts of man. She advocated that many texts were compiled from the male perspective and as such were responsible for defining gender. She further advocated that such rules written by men determined the rules of society and defined the way in which we live and conduct our lives. Amongst the books that Smith referenced were the US Constitution, The Holy Bible and the Communist Manifesto. Smith stated that the rulings defined in many of these books were completely opposite to the manner in which women conducted their lives today. Such obsolescence creates the way for transformation of thinking and revision in these areas. Ryan B Johnso n (Johnson, Standpoint Epistemology Summary 2010). EPISTOMELOGICAL ISSUES OF FEMINIST RESEARCH: Epistemology of feminist research broadly refers to the value of knowledge or the scientific method applied in order to conduct the research. An example being that of empirical or qualitative research. One of the important issues relates to the variation between quantitative and qualitative techniques in feminist research. The historical association that exists between the two research methods have been documented; however the logical associations remain debateable. As such feminist methodology cannot be firmly anchored to either camp of quantitative or qualitative style of research. Gilligan  [5]  pointed out that qualitative research represents the voice that is most consistent with female research values. Equally the researchers often use the perspective of a different voice, this being done in order to provide the distinction between that of a male opinionated voice. The female voice seeking to be far more evident in defining in the definition of connection and relationships. Mies stated that because women have been well versed in repression they have greater objectivity than men in this subject area. This is evident when they are involved in researching exploited groups. In essence women have more empathy and are able to better understand the important issues in a different light or perspective. (Janet Holland 2010). There is also the concept of stereotyping all women as feminists. Many female researchers have been primarily trained in traditional qualitative methodologies and despite the fact that they may have alternate or other views are most likely to revert to the traditional methods of carrying out research. Psychologist Laurie Rudman has completed research that has changed the views on negative stereotyping of women. Rudmans research found that negative stereoptypes of women are very widespread and even include educated young women. Her research further substantiated that strong independent women have satisfying romantic lives and their men are happy too as opposed to the widely held convention that feminists are man hating harpies (Branson 2007) SUMMARY PERSPECTIVES Female researchers have made a number of distinctive contributions to feminist methodologies in social science research. It remains questionable however as to whether a distinct feminist methodology exists, rather it is an approach to which female researchers have enlivened the debate by bringing fresh perspectives and valuable new insight, thereby challenging traditional methods. There have been some outstanding contributions to social science research from leading female researchers Goelting and Fernstermaker,  [6]  1995; Orlans and Wallace, 1994 and Thorpe and Laslett, 1997 are to name but a few. (DeVault 1999) Many sociologists agree that the original feminist movement had a core objective of changing the method of consciousness that was historically rooted in concepts of empirical research. Women became more aware of an alternate base for knowledge and the concept of introducing the womens experience into the methodology deployed. The early movement thereby highlighted the omission of this perspective. In addition, the group highlighted the racism that was faced by African/Americans in the USA and how white women had an advantage in obtaining academic research jobs. From these early beginnings female researchers have learnt to respond to the issues in social sciences and improve the overall field of inquiry. The female approach has been compared to that of excavators (DeVault 1999)where female researchers have been used to identify gaps or missing components in research or that which has been ignored. The unique voice of women often lends itself to a more empathetic approach to those delicate research areas i.e. child abuse, drug or substance abuse, juvenile crime etc. This often results in a more holistic and complete enquiry than would otherwise have been obtained from the traditional male dominated approach. (DeVault 1999). The emancipation of women in social science would provide women with an increased knowledge of their own social circumstances within society. Any feminist methodology therefore needs to be grounded in objectivity in social science. The feminist movement, in achieving liberal values, must not itself become an instrument of repression against the male community. As such the concept goes beyond methodology to more of a process of transformational change and make research more inclusive and objective. Feminist research is therefore aimed at the liberation of women. In achieving these objectives they increase the base of knowledge and add value to the overall method approach in social research and inquiry. (Mary Margaret Fonow, 1991). All the decent people, male and female, are feminists. The only people who are not feminists are those who believe that women are inherently inferior or undeserving of the respect and opportunity afforded men. Either you are a feminist or you are a sexist/mi sogynist. There is no box marked other.- Ani DiFranco. (M. P. Johnson 2005). 3406

Chaos theory

What exactly is the chaos theory? Some believe the chaos theory is one of the many theories that will be recognized in the centuries to come. The chaos theory embodies many conditions of science, such as physics, engineering, economics, philosophy, mathematics, music, and even psychology. The chaos theory is only beginning. The chaos theory is a theory used in different categories of science that a seemingly possible phenomena has an underlying meaning. When was chaos first discovered? Edward Lorenz was the first true experimenter in chaos, he was a meteorologist.In 1960 Edward Lorenz was working on a weather prediction problem, he ad a computer set up to model the weather with twelve equations. His computer program did not predict the weather, but theoretically predicted what the weather might be. In 1961 Edward Lorenz wanted to see a specific sequence again, to save time he began in the middle of the sequence. He entered his printout number and let it run. An hour later the sequenc e had changed differently. The pattern had diverged, ending up being extremely different. His computer had saved the numbers to a six decimal place, he printed it out for three decimal places to save paper.The original sequence was 0. 506127 he had it as 0. 506. Lorenz's experiment: he ditterence between the sta rting values ot these curves is only . 000127. (Ian Stewart, Does God Play Dice? The Mathematics of Chaos, pg. 141) This is how the butterfly effect became, because of the number of differences of the two curves starting points was that of a butterfly's wings flapping. Unpredictability is one of the most important element is a complicated system. Lorenz calls this unpredictability â€Å"sensitivity to initial conditions,† which is also known to be the butterfly effect.This idea means with a non-linear, complex systems, starting conditions will effect in extremely dissimilar outputs. The effect of the utterfly's movements, to predict the weather. An example is if a but terfly flaps it's wings in Tokyo, it could predict a storm in Texas in several weeks time. The dependance on initial conditions is extreme. There is a rule for complicated systems that one cannot create a model that will predict outcomes accurately. The idea initial conditions on sensitive dependance mathematical roots are powerful.If you have a circle with the points XO and Xl , this represents the starting value for a variable. â€Å"We assume that the difference between there two numbers is represented by the distance between the points on the circle, given by the ariable d. To demonstrate the importance of infinite accuracy of initial conditions, we iterate T. Atter only one iteration, d, or the distance between T ), has doubled Iterating again, we find that the distance between the two points, already twice its initial size, doubles again. In this pattern, we find that the distance between the two points, Tn(XO) and Tn(X1), is 2nd.Clearly, d is expanding quite rapidly, leading the model further and further astray. After only ten iterations, the distance between the two points has grown to a whopping 210d = 1024d. † This example determines that to close conditions begin, after only a few minor ifferences, and iterations. The exact point on the circle can only be describes with an infinite amount of decimal places, the other remaining decimal places are discarded. There will always be a decimal error even if you enter the initial numbers into the computer with precision.Chaos is deterministic, sensitive to initial conditions, and orderly. Chaotic systems do have a sense of order, non chaotic systems are random. In a chaotic system even a minor in the starting point can lead to different outcomes. Equations for this system appear to show an increase to completely random behaviour. When raphed the system, something surprising happened, the output stayed on a double spiral curve. Lorenz's equations were certainly ordered, because they all had followed a spiral. The points never ended on a single point , but they weren't periodic either, they never repeated the same thing.He called his graphed equation the Lorenz attractor. In 1963 he published a paper describing his discovery and the unpredictability of the weather. This paper also included key information about the types of equations and what caused this behaviour. Since he was not a mathematician or a physicist he wasn't cknowledged for his discoveries until year later, when there had already been rediscovered by others. Lorenz had to wait for someone to discover him, his discovery was revolutionary. Another example of sensitive dependance of initial conditions is flipping a coin. There are two variables.One is how fast it is flipping, and the other is how fast it will hit the ground? Apparently, it should be likely to control how might the coin end up. In practice, it is impossible to control exactly how fast the coin flips and how high. There are similar problems like this in ecology. This occurs with the prediction of biological population. If the population rises continually, but with predators and limited food supply the equation is incorrect. next year's population = r * this year's population * (1 – this year's population) Benoit Mandelbrot was a mathematician working at 18M, he was studying self- similarity.One ot the areas ne studying was cotton prize tluctuation. He tried many times to analyze the data of the price for cotton, but the data did not go with the normal distribution. He decided to collect data from. Mandelbrot eventually gave up, until he decided to gather all the information dating back to 1900. He IBM's computer and found a surprising fact: The numbers that produced aberrations from the point of view of normal distribution produced symmetry from the point of view of scaling. Each particular price change was random and changes unpredictable.But the sequence of changes was independent on scale: curves for daily price changes a nd monthly price changes matched perfectly. Incredibly, analyzed Mandelbrot's way, the degree of variation had remained constant over a tumultuous sixty-year period that saw the two World Wars and a depression. † dames Gleick, Chaos – Making a New Science, pg. 86) Another example of the chaos theory is the human heart. The heart has a chaotic pattern. The time between the beats is not constant. It depends on how much actions a person is doing and there also among other things.

The Election of 1968 Politics In a Turbulent Year

Biography of Sargon the Great, Ruler of Mesopotamia

Sargon the Great was one of the worlds earliest empire  builders. From roughly  2334 to 2279 BCE, he ruled a civilization called the Akkadian Empire, consisting largely of ancient Mesopotamia,  after conquering all of Sumer (southern Mesopotamia) as well as parts of Syria, Anatolia (Turkey), and  Elam  (western Iran). His empire was the first political entity to have an extensive, efficient, large-scale bureaucracy to administer his far-flung lands and their culturally diverse people. Fast Facts: Sargon the Great Known For: Creating an empire in MesopotamiaAlso Known As: Sargon of Akkad, Shar-Gani-Sharri, Sarru-Kan (True King or Legitimate King)  Sargon of Agade, King of Agade, King of Kish, King of the LandDied: c. 2279 BCE Early Life Almost nothing is known of Sargons early life. There is no birth date; the dates of his reign are approximate; and the end of his reign, 2279, is only presumably the year of his death. His name at birth also is unknown; he adopted Sargon later. Although his name was among the most famous in antiquity, the modern world knew nothing of him until 1870 CE, when Sir Henry Rawlinson, a British army officer and scholar of the Orient, published the Legend of Sargon, which he had found in the library of King Ashurbanipal  of Assyria while excavating the ancient Mesopotamian city of  Nineveh  in 1867. The Legend of Sargon, engraved in cuneiform on a clay tablet, supposedly represented his biography, though its often described as folklore. It reads, in part: My mother was a changeling, my father I knew not...My mother conceived me in secret, she gave birth to me in concealment. She set me in a basket of rushes, She sealed the lid with tar. She cast me into the river...The water carried me to Akki, the drawer of water. He lifted me out as he dipped his jar into the river, He took me as his son, he raised me, He made me his gardener. Sargons mother, said to have been a priestess in a town on the Euphrates River and perhaps one of an order of sacred prostitutes, couldnt keep the child. She hit upon an option strikingly similar to one involving Moses, although her baby supposedly floated down the Euphrates instead of the Nile. The future founder of the  Akkadian Empire was discovered by a gardener who served Ur-Zababa, the king of  Kish, a massive subterranean city on the island of Kish off the coast of Iran. Rise to Power Sargon eventually became Ur-Zababas cup-bearer, a servant who brought a king’s wine but also served as a trusted adviser. For unknown reasons, the king felt threatened by Sargon and tried to get rid of him: When Lugal-zage-si, the  king  of Umma who had conquered and consolidated many city-states in Sumer, came to conquer Kish next, Ur-Zababa sent Sargon to deliver a  clay tablet to the king, supposedly offering peace. The tablet, however, contained a message requesting that Lugal-zage-si kill Sargon. Somehow the conspiracy was thwarted, and the Sumerian king asked Sargon to join his campaign against the city. They conquered Kish and Ur-Zababa was deposed. But soon Sargon and Lugal-zage-si had a falling out. Some accounts say Sargon had an affair with Lugal-zage-si’s wife. At any rate, Sargon captured  Uruk,  an ancient land in southern Mesopotamia on the Euphrates River, from Lugal-zage-si and then defeated him in battle at Kish. Expanding His Realm A large part of  Sumer had been controlled by Uruk, so with both Ur-Zababa and Lugalzagesi out of the way, Sargon was the new ruler of an area from which to launch military campaigns and expand his empire. But Sargon also wanted to maintain the lands under his control, so he established an efficient  bureaucracy by placing trusted men in each Sumerian city to rule in his name. Meanwhile, Sargon expanded his empire, defeating the  Elamites to the East, who inhabited what is today western Iran. To the West, Sargon conquered parts of  Syria  and  Anatolia. He established his capital at Akkad, near Kish, becoming the first king of the Akkadian Dynasty. The city, which lent its name to the empire, has never been found. He conquered the nearby city-states of Ur, Umma, and Lagash and developed a commercial trade-based empire, with unifying roads and a postal system. Sargon made his daughter Enheduanna a high priestess of Nanna, Urs moon god. She was also a poet and is considered the world’s first author known by name, credited  with creating the paradigms of poetry, psalms, and prayers used throughout the ancient world that led to genres recognized in the present day. Death Sargon the Great is said to have died of natural causes around 2279 BCE and was succeeded by his son Rimush. Legacy Sargon Akkadian Empire lasted a century and a half, ending when it was displaced by the Gutian dynasty of Sumer during the 22nd century BCE. One of the results of Sargon’s conquests was the facilitation of trade. Sargon controlled the  cedar forests of Lebanon  and the silver mines of Anatolia, which provided valuable raw materials for trade in the  Indus Valley, as well as in civilizations in Oman and along the Gulf. The Akkadian Empire was the first political entity to make extensive use of bureaucracy and administration on a large scale, setting the standard for future rulers and kingdoms. The Akkadians developed the first postal system, constructed roads, improved irrigation systems, and advanced the arts and sciences. Sargon also is remembered for creating a society where the weak were protected. Stories say that during his reign, no one in Sumer had to beg for food, and widows and orphans were protected. Rebellions were common during his reign, though he reportedly said his enemies faced a â€Å"lion with teeth and claws.† Sargon the Great wasn’t regarded as a hero from humble beginnings who gained power to save his people, but his empire was considered a  Golden Age compared to those that followed. Sources Zettler, Richard L. Reconstructing the World of Ancient Mesopotamia: Divided Beginnings and Holistic History. Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 2003.Sargon of Akkad: Familiar and Legendary Tales of a Famous Mesopotamian King. Ancient Origins.Sargon of Akkad. Ancient History Encyclopedia.Sargon: Ruler of Mesopotamia. Encyclopaedia Britannica.