FEMINIST THEORIZING AS A CONVERSATION - THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THINKING, TEACHING, AND POLITICAL-ACTION

This article presents an analysis of conversation as a model for femin ist theorizing. It explores the sources of resistance to this model, a s these have been expressed by the author's students and by various wr iters. It elaborates what conversation might mean as a way of thinking about the practices of feminist theorizing, using the ideas of reflex ivity and collaboration as key dimensions for understanding what we do when we theorize. The article presents some examples of reflexive, co nversational theorizing and argues that this way of understanding the project of constructing feminist theories is empowering because it rev eals that theorizing is a political act. When we theorize we build rel ationships and shape agreements that allow us to share and rework the life we live in common with others.