Consciousness-Raising: A Tool for Feminist Praxis in Research and Granting Voice

There is a long standing debate among researchers within the social sciences. Scholars argue the virtues of quantitative versus qualitative research, positivism versus subjectivity, and the use of mainstream/traditional methods of data collection versus constructionist, feminist, and multicultural methods of data collection. At the core of this debate is the quest for truth and an understanding of the social. From this debate emerged a number of new and innovative methods of data collection. Feminist researchers led the way in challenging mainstream, positivistic, quantitative approaches to research. That is not to say that feminist research is limited to qualitative methods. Feminist researchers utilize existing methods and much more. They challenged the basic methodological assumptions of mainstream/traditional research (ArdoviniBrooker 2001). Feminist researchers viewed, and still view, research as a form of social activism. Research is done for praxis and not for the sake of research. Due to this new "purpose" of research, new and innovative methods developed along with the modification of the old ones. With this in mind, I must state that this paper can not do justice to all the methods used by feminist scholars. Therefore, I am only offering insight into a research tool that may be utilized as a feminist form of praxis. This article explores the use of consciousness-raising as such a tool.Although there aren't any methods of research that are specific to feminist research, there are some underlying elements that are consistent to feminist methodology. Basically, feminist methodology attempts to join the subject and the object by using reflexivity and rejecting positivism. Thus, feminist methods are performed by those who consider themselves as feminists. Feminist methods are also performed by researchers who reject old constraints, to make women and minorities aware of the conditions that limit their life choice, and to ensure that woman and minorities are no longer barred from access to high-level position (Reinharz 1992, p. 218).However, let us digress and address the importance of the Feminist Movement in the creation of feminist methodology. The Feminist Movement assisted in opening the door to feminist researchers, theorists and called for the challenging of the mainstream/traditional paradigm. Thus, feminist researchers challenged the methodological assumptions of past research. Many feminist researchers no longer viewed research as "research for research sake". Research was now viewed as praxis oriented. The person now became political.As noted earlier, one method that best lends itself to this new perspective is consciousness-raising. Consciousness-raising is a unique research tool used by feminist methodologists as well as qualitative methodologists. It embodies principles of enabling women and minorities to discuss and understand their experiences from their own viewpoint (Reinharz 1992: 220). Consciousness-raising assists in uncovering the reality of those that are marginalized, rather then regurgitate a reality that is constructed for them.Since consciousness-raising explores the unexplored, there is an issue that is raised by feminist methodologists. This issue is concerned with the domination of grand narratives in mainstream research. In other words, feminist methodologies are mostly reflective, they speak to multiple truths. Therefore, the methods used to conduct feminist research, as well as multicultural social theories, speak to multiple and different truths because there are many women and cultures with many different points of view that were and are silenced by mainstream research methods and theories. For this reason, consciousness-raising may assist in discovering these many "truths", instead of just one "Truth".Since the subject of this article is consciousness-raising, a feminist method; it seems only logical to begin with a definition of feminism. The term feminism has many definitions, which include:1) A holistic theory concerned with the nature of global oppression of women and minorities;2) A sociopolitical theory and practice that aims to free all women and minorities from exploitation;3) A social movement encompassing strategic confrontations with the racist, sex-class system;4) An ideology that stands in dialectical opposition to all racist and misogynous ideologies and practices (Jary and Jaiy 1991:167). …