Feminist Research Methodology

Making Meanings of Meaning-Making

By Maithree Wickramasinghe

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About the Book

This book focuses on feminist research methodology, exploring and analysing its constituting methods, theory, ontology, epistemology, ethics and politics, and research issues relating to women, gender and feminism in Sri Lanka. The book examines ways of meaning-making for the political, ideological and ethical purposes of promoting individual and social change, and constructs an example of feminist research praxis.

Using this South Asian country as a case study, the author looks at the means by which researchers in this field inhabit, engage with and represent the multiple realities of women and society in Sri Lanka. In analysing what constitutes feminist research methodology in a transitional country, the book links local research practices with Western feminist approaches, taking into account the commonalities, distinctions and specificities of working in a South Asian context.

Engaging with and re-conceptualising three traditionally different types of research - women’s studies, gender studies and feminist studies - from a methodological perspective, Feminist Research Methodology provides a framework for researching feminist issues. Applicable at both a local and global level, this original methodological framework will be of value to researchers working in any context.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Making Meanings Part 1: Methodology Matters 1. The Local Context: Archaeology of Women's Research Activism 2. A Paradigm: Women - A Paradigm in Global Knowledge Production Part 2: Aspects of Feminist Research Methodology 3. Subjectivity: Reflecting on the Self as / in Making Meaning 4. An Ontology: Research Realities in Meaning-Making 5. An Epistemology: Making Meanings of Being / Doing Gender 6. A Method: Literature Reviewing as Making Meaning 7. Theory: Making and Unmaking Meaning in Theory 8. Ethics / Politics: Feminist Ethics / Politics in Meaning-Making 9. Conclusions: Towards a Feminist Research Methodological Framework - Making Meanings of Meaning-Making

About the Author(s)

Maithree Wickramasinghe received her PhD from the Institute of Education, University of London. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Her research has explored feminist critical theory and methodology, gender in organizations and workplaces, as well as women and gender in development.