1. Originally from
Is Science Multicultural?: Postcolonialisms, Feminisms, and Epistemologies
published 1998
Read in Just Methods
2. Earned her PhD in Philosophy from NYU
Her teaching and research interests are in
feminist and postcolonial theory, epistemology,
research methodology and philosophy of
science
Professor in the Education Department, Gender
Studies, and in the Social Sciences and
Comparative Education Division at UCLA
Most recent book: Postcolonial Science and
Technology Studies Reader 2011
3. Was the editor of Signs
Taught University of Delaware
Held international teaching positions
4. The critique of internalist epistemology lead to a
“crisis”
Two strategies for solving this crisis are
problematic, according to Harding:
Respond to some criticism, dismiss others, but
doesn’t really move from its internalist form
Agree with internalist epistemology, but the only
solution is to abandon epistemological projects and
substitute with “sciences” of natural and social
sciences “for epistemologies of science”
322-33
5. Standpoint epistemologies:
Important resources can be found when starting
projects from issues in women’s lives, not dominant
“androcentric conceptual frameworks”
▪ Political (racism, classism, colonialism) and cultural (Catholic,
Navajo) locations are both important, and though distinct,
are inter-relational
▪ Standpoint of a particular marginalized group illuminates
more complete and clear conceptual frameworks
▪ The standpoint of a group must be determined by “empirical
observation and theoretical reflection” 333 (
▪ A standpoint: an objective position in social relations through
a theory or discourse
6. Knowledge and politics are at the center of it
Outlines “logic of discovery” to maximize the
objectivity of research results in order to
produce knowledge for marginalized people
and their allies
▪ 335
7. Hegel: master/slave narrative
Marx, Engle, Lukas: proletariat narrative
1970’s feminist narrative: adopted from Marx
to an extent structural/symbolic gender
relations affected knowledge production p.
333
Feminist epistemology: situated knowledge,
relates to this:
Harraway: political, non essentialist
GunnAllen: interdisciplinary (literature, history,
etc.) cultural and political
8. Strengths:
Accounts for intersectionality of experiences, whether
personal or in the disciplines
Non-essentialist
Acknowledges broad problematic frameworks , an
makes a nod to the personal/communal within these
larger frameworks
Weaknesses:
“They try to substitute ‘sciences’ of natural …for
epistemologies of science” 333
Discounts people’s stories? 337
9. In which disciplines have you
observed/practiced standpoint
epistemologies? How were they practiced?
How do you understand Harding’s concept of
objectivity (not neutral)? How does
objectivity relate to standpoint epistemology,
according to Harding?
How does Harding’s account of standpoint
epistemology relate to the other readings for
this week?