Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science: Power in Knowledge (Feminist Philosophy Collection (Hardcover))

This collection brings together exciting new works that address today’s key challenges for a feminist power-sensitive approach to knowledge and scientific practice. Taking up such issues as the role of contextualism in epistemology, democracy and dissent in knowledge practices, and epistemic agency under conditions of oppression, the essays build upon well-established work in feminist epistemology and philosophy of science such as standpoint theory and contextual empiricism, offering new interpretations and applications. Many contributions capture the current engagement of feminist epistemologists with the insights and programs of nonfeminist epistemologists, while others focus on the intersections between feminist epistemology and other fields of feminist inquiry such as feminist ethics and metaphysics. An important resource both for students and scholars of feminist epistemology and philosophy of science, with sections of interest to social epistemologists and philosophers of science more generally, this collection represents the broad array of the feminist epistemological work now being done, and the many ways in which feminists incorporate power dynamics into their analyses. It clearly represents both the breadth and the depth of this now well-developed area of feminist scholarship. Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science 3 Acknowledgments 5 Contents 7 About the Contributors 9 Introduction: Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science in the Twenty-First Century 13 Broadening the Scope of Analysis 15 Challenges of Situated Knowing 16 Challenges of Communal Practices 17 Integrating Ethics and Epistemology 18 Part I: Intersections: Feminism, Epistemology and Science Studies 19 Part II: Democracy and Diversity in Knowledge Practices 23 Part III: Contexts of Oppression: Accountability in Knowing 26 References 29 Part I: Intersections: Feminism, Epistemology, and Science Studies 31 Chapter 1: The Marginalization of Feminist Epistemology and What That Reveals About Epistemology ‘Proper’ 32 1.1 A View from the Margins 33 1.2 Feminist Metaepistemic Advantage 43 References 51 Chapter 2: Contextualism in Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science 54 2.1 Introduction 54 2.2 Helen Longino’s Contextual Empiricism 57 2.3 Three Objections to Longino’s Contextual Empiricism 58 2.3.1 Dogmatism with Respect to Standards of Argumentation 59 2.3.2 Lack of Naturalistic Justification 60 2.3.3 Relativism with Respect to Moral and Social Values 61 2.4 A Contextualist Theory of Epistemic Justification 63 2.5 Defending Contextual Empiricism 66 2.5.1 Dogmatism with Respect to Standards of Argumentation 66 2.5.2 Lack of Naturalistic Justification 68 2.5.3 Relativism with Respect to Moral and Social Values 69 2.6 Conclusion 70 References 71 Chapter 3: Altogether Now: A Virtue-Theoretic Approach to Pluralism in Feminist Epistemology 74 3.1 Virtue Epistemology: A Brief Introduction 75 3.2 Feminist Virtue Epistemology 76 3.3 A Feminist Virtue Epistemology Centered on Epistemic Trustworthiness 79 3.4 Contextualisms 82 3.5 Feminist Contextual Empiricism, with Virtue 85 3.6 Feminist Standpoint Epistemologies 88 3.7 Feminist Standpoint Epistemology, Contextualized 90 3.8 Contextualized Standpoint Theory, with Virtue 91 3.9 Conclusion 93 References 94 Chapter 4: The Implications of the New Materialisms for Feminist Epistemology 97 References 108 Chapter 5: Interrogating the Modernity vs. Tradition Contrast: Whose Science and Technology for Whose Social Progress? 112 5.1 Three Feminist Critical Approaches to Traditional and Modern Scientific Knowledge 114 5.2 Obscured Paternal Narratives of Modernization 117 5.2.1 Men Separate from the Past 117 5.2.2 Creation of Exclusively Masculine Public Sphere of Economics and Politics 117 5.2.3 The Need for Scientific Rationality and Technical Expertise 118 5.2.4 Evolutionary Progress 119 5.3 Silences and Gaps in Logic: Others’ Questions 120 5.3.1 Is Modernity Incompatible with Tradition? 120 5.3.2 Who Is Responsible for the Flourishing of Households? 121 5.3.3 Are Modern Men Autonomous, and Themselves Responsible for Their Own Achievements? 122 5.3.4 Why Do Gender and Race/Imperial Discourses Mutually Circulate in Modernization Theories? 122 5.3.5 Is the Modern Model of the Ideal Relation Between Speech and Authority Suitable for Human Social Progress? 123 5.3.6 Why Does Modernity’s Narrative Replicate the Freudian Narrative? 123 5.4 Moving on: A Methodological Provocation 125 5.4.1 Interrogating ‘Tradition’ 125 5.4.2 Women’s Lives in Households as a Starting Point for All Research 126 5.4.3 New Resources 127 5.4.4 Objections 128 5.4.5 New Households in Global Restructuring 131 5.5 Conclusion 132 References 133 Part II: Democracy and Diversity in Knowledge Practices 136 Chapter 6: Diversity and Dissent in Science: Does Democracy Always Serve Feminist Aims? 137 6.1 Introduction 137 6.2 Millian Science in Longino’s Contextual Empiricism 139 6.3 Millian Science in Solomon’s Social Empiricism 141 6.4 Evaluating Millian Science from a Feminist Perspective 145 6.5 Toward an Alternative Conception of Democracy in Science 151 6.5.1 Diversity 152 6.5.2 Mechanisms for Identifying and Endorsing Values with Multi-Expertise Feedback 153 6.5.3 Dissent 155 6.6 Conclusion 156 References 157 Chapter 7: What Is in It for Me? The Benefits of Diversity in Scientific Communities 159 7.1 What Is in It for Me? 159 7.2 An Example of ‘Diversity Promotes Excellence’ Theories 161 7.3 Epistemic Communities, Diversity Free Riders and Diversity Development 164 7.3.1 Formal and Informal Communities 165 7.3.2 Status – Marginal and Central Positions Within a Community 165 7.3.3 Diversity Free Riding 166 7.3.4 Making Use of Diversity 167 7.3.5 Some Feminist Concerns 169 7.3.6 Increasing Diversity – Diversity Development Work 171 7.4 Situational and Epistemic Diversity 172 7.5 From Ineffective to Effective Epistemic Diversity 173 7.5.1 Women Can Face Challenges Gaining Uptake 174 7.5.2 Lack of Social Interactions Required for Women to Offer Dissent – Isolation 176 7.5.3 Forces That Inhibit Women from Developing Dissenting Views 177 7.6 Conclusions 178 References 179 Chapter 8: What Knowers Know Well: Women, Work and the Academy 182 8.1 Standpoint Theory and Epistemic Injustice 185 Evidence 189 Inferential Heuristics and Explanatory Models 189 Critical Distance 189 8.2 Activist Research on the Academic Workplace Environment 190 8.3 Epistemic Injustice and the Resources of Situated Knowledge 197 Evidence 198 Inferential Heuristics and Explanatory Models 198 Critical Distance 199 8.4 Conclusion 200 References 202 Part III: Contexts of Oppression: Accountability in Knowing 205 Chapter 9: More Than Skin Deep: Situated Communities and Agent Orange in the Aluoi Valley, Vietnam 206 9.1 Being in Vietnam 208 9.2 Knowing One’s Place: Situated Knowledges and Concrete Engagements 209 9.3 Pragmatism as Methodology: Experimental Inquiry and Practice 212 9.4 Situating Communities: A Pragmatist Feminist Approach to Scientific Research 214 9.5 Agent Orange in the Aluoi Valley 217 9.5.1 From Operation Ranch Hand to Dioxin Reservoirs 217 9.5.2 Situating Agent Orange in the Aluoi Valley 219 9.5.3 From Evidence to Obligations 222 9.6 Conclusion 223 9.7 Epilogue 224 References 224 Chapter 10: ‘They Treated Him Well’: Fact, Fiction, and the Politics of Knowledge* 227 10.1 July’s People 228 10.2 Moral Epistemology 229 10.3 ‘Fact’, and Fiction 233 10.4 Narrative Understanding 238 10.5 Conclusions 240 References 243 Chapter 11: Wrongful Requests and Strategic Refusals to Understand 245 11.1 Meaningful Action and Agency Shortchanged 249 11.2 Wrongful Requests 253 11.3 Some Caveats 258 11.4 Strategic Refusals 260 References 261 Chapter 12: Liberatory Epistemology and the Sharing of Knowledge: Querying the Norms 263 12.1 The Circulation of Knowledge: A Feminist Issue 263 12.2 Feminist Epistemology as Liberatory Epistemology 265 12.3 Knowledge-Sharing Norms (KSNs): Definition and Function 267 12.4 Variation in Knowledge-Sharing Norms 270 12.5 Assessing Knowledge-Sharing Norms: Knowledge Sharing as an Intrinsic Good 271 12.6 Assessing Knowledge-Sharing Norms: Rejecting Knowledge Sharing as an Intrinsic Good 273 12.7 Assessing Knowledge-Sharing Norms: Returning to the Goals of Liberatory Epistemology 278 12.8 Positionality and Trust 280 12.9 Conclusions 282 References 283 Index 285 Feminist Epistemology And Philosophy Of Science In The Twenty-first Century / Heidi E. Grasswick -- Marginalization Of Feminist Epistemology And What That Reveals About Epistemology Proper / Phyllis Rooney -- Contextualism In Feminist Epistemology And Philosophy Of Science / Kristina Rolin -- Altogether Now : A Virtue-theoretic Approach To Pluralism In Feminist Epistemology / Nancy Daukas -- Implications Of The New Materialisms For Feminist Epistemology / Samantha Frost -- Interrogating The Modernity Vs. Tradition Contrast : Whose Science And Technology For Whose Social Progress? / Sandra Harding -- Diversity And Dissent In Science : Does Democracy Always Serve Feminist Aims? / Kristen Intemann -- What Is In It For Me? The Benefits Of Diversity In Scientific Communities / Carla Fehr -- What Knowers Know Well : Women, Work And The Academy / Alison Wylie -- More Than Skin Deep : Situated Communities And Agent Orange In The Aluoi Valley, Vietnam / Nancy Arden Mchugh -- They Treated Him Well : Fact, Fiction, And The Politics Of Knowledge / Lorraine Code -- Wrongful Requests And Strategic Refusals To Understand / Gaile Pohlhaus -- Liberatory Epistemology And The Sharing Of Knowledge : Querying The Norms / Heidi E. Grasswick. Heidi E. Grasswick, Editor. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xxx Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Marginalization of Feminist Epistemology and What That Reveals About Epistemology ‘Proper’....Pages 3-24 Contextualism in Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science....Pages 25-44 Altogether Now: A Virtue-Theoretic Approach to Pluralism in Feminist Epistemology....Pages 45-67 The Implications of the New Materialisms for Feminist Epistemology....Pages 69-83 Interrogating the Modernity vs. Tradition Contrast: Whose Science and Technology for Whose Social Progress?....Pages 85-108 Front Matter....Pages 109-109 Diversity and Dissent in Science: Does Democracy Always Serve Feminist Aims?....Pages 111-132 What Is in It for Me? The Benefits of Diversity in Scientific Communities....Pages 133-155 What Knowers Know Well: Women, Work and the Academy....Pages 157-179 Front Matter....Pages 181-181 More Than Skin Deep: Situated Communities and Agent Orange in the Aluoi Valley, Vietnam....Pages 183-203 ‘They Treated Him Well’: Fact, Fiction, and the Politics of Knowledge....Pages 205-222 Wrongful Requests and Strategic Refusals to Understand....Pages 223-240 Liberatory Epistemology and the Sharing of Knowledge: Querying the Norms....Pages 241-262 Back Matter....Pages 263-268 Having enjoyed more than twenty years of development, feminist epistemology and philosophy of science are now thriving fields of inquiry, offering current scholars a rich tradition from which to draw. In addition to a recognition of the power of knowledge itself and its effects on women's lives, a central feature of feminist epistemology and philosophy of science has been the attention they draw to the role of power dynamics within knowledge-seeking practices and the implications of these dynamics for our understandings of knowledge, science, and epistemology. Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science: Power in Knowledge collects new works that address today's key challenges for a power-sensitive feminist approach to questions of knowledge and scientific practice. The essays build upon established work in feminist epistemology and philosophy of science, offering new developments in the fields, and representing the broad array of the feminist work now being done and the many ways in which feminists incorporate power dynamics into their analyses. Collects works that address key challenges for a feminist approach to knowledge and scientific practice. This title is suitable for both students and scholars of feminist epistemology and philosophy of science. It offers a mix of contributions from well-established feminist scholars and the next generation of feminist epistemologists.