Feminist research changing organizations and societies: taking stock and looking to the future

ABSTRACT

Feminist research has produced important insights into the causes and forms of, and impediments to overcoming, gender-based discrimination in the workplace and society. Yet the impact of such work is rarely acknowledged or evaluated in the various research assessment exercises on which neoliberal universities increasingly rely to appraise the quality of their outputs. This article considers the social impact of research by tracing paradigmatic shifts in theoretical writings by feminist scholars and activists, namely Judith Butler and Silvia Federici, that influence policies, organizational practices and debates on gender. This impact, it is suggested, occurs despite evidence of insufficient or stalled progress in addressing old and new inequalities in organizations and society, which cannot and should not be ignored or underplayed. It is argued that courageous and novel theorization is required to create new imaginaries, as well as engagement in the political process through academic activism to better understand and transform the world in which we live.

KEYWORDS:

• Research impact
• feminist theory
• social reproduction
• inequality
• activism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. I am grateful to an anonymous reviewer for drawing my attention to this point.