1. Knowledge is socially situated.
Hartsock (1983) rejects the belief that knowledge is fixed. She argues that all attempts at knowledge are based on one's social position. Issues of identity including gender, race, sexuality, and class impact and delineate what we know, how we know it, and whether or not we are able to know it at all.
2. Marginalized groups have special access to certain questions and truths than non-marginalized groups. This is a result of their unique social position.
Socially marginalized positions can be epistemically superior. This allows those in oppressed positions to see beyond knowledges constructed by the oppressor.
3. Research about power relations should begin with the lives of the marginalized.
This epistemic superiority can lead research in directions that would otherwise be overlooked. This is particularly true in issues of public policy, since those in oppressed positions are more likely to see problems in need of solutions.
No comments:
Post a Comment