SOCI 325: Sociology of Science

Agenda

Feminist epistemologies

  1. Today's readings in context
  2. Haraway on objectivity
  3. Reading discussion

Today's readings in context

Three perspectives on epistemology:

(i.e. "is knowledge social?")

Oct 5

Bloor (1976)

  • Strong programme
  • Staunchly constructivist

Oct 12

Haraway (1988)

  • Standpoint thoery
  • Reclaiming objectivity

Martin (1991)

  • Application of feminist empiricism

Oct 17

Hacking (1983)

  • Scientific realism
  • Incorporating ideas from constructivism

Feminist epistemology

A brief note on the term feminist

  • Contemporary feminist epistemology is concerned with much more than just gender
  • Describes a critical approach to epistemology that focuses on power and structures of oppression
  • Includes, e.g., critical race theory, postcolonial theory, critical disability theory, …

Haraway on objectivity

Situated knowledge

Haraway (1988) is a response to feminist (and other critical) critiques of “objectivity”

  • Historically, the sheen of objectivity has consistently been used to justify exploitation and oppression
  • Modern ideal of objectivity as impartial and 'perspectiveless' (god trick) is inherently oppressive
  • Haraway addresses two opposing feminist/critical responses to the problems of objectivity:
animation of an artificial looking head and shoulders moving slightly in front of a rotating striped background. The whole thing as an aethetic of 1980s tech futurism. (Max Headroom)

Radical constructivism

  • Scientific knowledge is nothing more than rhetoric, power, and jockeying over control of the dominant narrative
  • Complete rejection of objectivity

Feminist empiricsim

  • Marginalized voices are necessary in science to counteract the cultural contingency of experience (e.g. Martin 1991)
  • Fundamentally subscribes to the modern ideal of objectivity

Situated knowledge

Standpoint theory (a la Haraway)

A third choice

  • Don’t reject objectivity entirely, reject the impartiality of objectivity
  • There is no such thing as knowledge without a perspective
  • For Haraway, feminist standpoint theory offers the groundedness of objectivity while acknowledging the inherent contingency of knowledge

“Feminist objectivity is about limited location and situated knowledge, not about transcendence and splitting of subject and object. It allows us to become answerable for what we learn how to see.” (583)

Top panel: two hands outstretched, one offering a red pill and the other offering a blue pill. The red pill is labeled 'radical constructivism' and the blue pill is labeled 'feminist empiricsm.' Bottom panel: a man (Zizek) standing in front of a chair with a completely white background, pointing at the camera. This panel is labeled 'I want a third pill (standpoint theory)'

Next class

Scientific Realism

  • Hacking (1983)
    What is scientific realism?

Image credit

animation of an artificial looking head and shoulders moving slightly in front of a rotating striped background. The whole thing as an aethetic of 1980s tech futurism. (Max Headroom)

Animation from gifer.com user Ceredor

two hands outstretched, one offering a red pill and the other offering a blue pill

Still from The Matrix (1999)

a man (Zizek) standing in front of a chair with a completely white background, pointing at the camera.

Still from The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006)

harway: good explanation of standpoint theory also: good framing within other feminist epistemologies Martin: good example of feminist empiricism also: nice to have an applied example among all of this heavy theory

modern ideal of objectivity: free of context accessible to some but not dependent on them impartial perspective