Embodying Feminist Research: Learning from Action Research, Political Practices, Diffractions, and Collective Knowledge

Abstract

In the past three decades, feminists and critical theorists have discussed and argued the importance of deconstructing and problematising social science research methodology to question normalized hierarchies concerning the production of knowledge and the status of truth claims. Nevertheless, often, these ideas have remained theoretical propositions not embodied in research practices. In fact there is very little published discussion about the difficulties and limits of their practical application. In this paper, we introduce some interconnected reflections starting from two different but related experiences of embodying feminist activist research. Our aim is to emphasise the importance of attending to process, making mistakes and learning during fieldwork, as well as experimenting with personalized forms of analysis, such as the construction of narratives and the story-telling process.

Keywords:

• activism
• anti-racism
• feminist research
• embodiment
• diffractions
• migration
• social movements

Acknowledgements

We both thank, first of all, the amazing women that generously participated in our respective research. Without their energy, knowledge, fighting power, and determination, our discourses would be completely empty. Second, even if we cannot list the names of all the great friends who have encouraged us and given us theoretical ideas to play with during the long process of completing our studies, we cannot forget them. As far as this specific paper goes, we would like to acknowledge the great work done by the editorial team and our reviewers in helping us hone our arguments and patiently egging us on to meet our deadlines. Last but not least, we would like to acknowledge for their direct input on this piece Maria Puig de la Bellacasa, Edward Hugo, and Erica Burman.

Notes

¹Much more space would be needed to debate the essentialist and homogenizing conception of womanhood that lie behind that theory.

²By white defensiveness, Roman means “the relativistic assertion that whites, like ‘people of color,’ are history's oppressed subjects of racism.”

³I use the term mixed social movement to describe social movements made up of women and men.

⁴See www.ub.es/donesMS . At the time of design in 2001, the on-line research was at its beginning in Spain. For first accounts of the survey's results see Biglia 2003a.

⁵As shown in the debate developed in August–September 2004 within the Social-Movement list (http://www.iol.ie/∼mazzoldi/toolsforchange/sm.html), there is no agreement between theorist-researchers on the inclusion/exclusion of movements of the “right” within the category of SM. In accordance with the definition of the activist I worked with, I use the term SM solely to refer to movements of the “left.”

⁶Even if social movements researcher frequently claim that they work with (or on) a specific Social Movement it is really difficult to address more then a portion of the SM due to its indefinite contours. This has been the reality within the so called “new social movements” and is even clearer in the actual conjunction of the so called “movement of movements.”

⁷ Animalhada 2004; Anonyma 1998; Blue 2002; Manchester Women's Network 2004; Modica 2000; PGA 2004; Raven 1995; Subbuswamy Patel 2001; Thiers-Vidal 1998.

⁸Between them: http://www.tmcrew.org/sessismo; http://www.antipatriarcat.org.

⁹For example the itinerant workshops on sexism (Italy, 2003).

¹⁰ NEXTgenderation and 30something.

¹¹The so called movement of movement (MoMo) has a less protective attitude both with journalists and researchers. However the fieldwork of the Ph was completed before the explosion of MoMo.

¹²The Mapuche are the indigenous inhabitants of Central and Southern Chile and Southern Argentina. The women interviewed are involved in the Mapuche Movement.