REMAKING THE LINK - QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AND FEMINIST STANDPOINT THEORY

Historical and contemporary developments in feminist thinking on theor y and method are considered. The critique of positivism is outlined, t ogether with the affinity between feminist research and qualitative me thods. Dilemmas are raised concerning: a false dualism between quantit y and quality; ethical concerns; and writing in the personal. There ar e contradictory positions within the contemporary argument for methodo logical pluralism, such that it does not resolve tensions surrounding issues of women's experience and the warranting of interpretations. Ep istemological debates involving feminism and post-modernism have creat ed a changed intellectual landscape for reconsidering the link between qualitative research and standpoint theory. These raise issues of gro unding, depth and evaluating knowledge by appeals to a notion of stron g (or feminist) objectivity, together with the need to mitigate agains t appropriation of the 'other'. Exemplars of qualitative feminist anal ysis are presented.