Whether Feminist Politics Can Endure in the Face of Varied Women's Understandings That Have Been Molded by Society

Week 1 Response

Nancy Hartsock defines standpoint theory as a body of work concerned with how the authority is rooted in the knowledge of people, and the power exerted by such authority (Hartsock, 1983, 1). Through the standpoint theory, Hartsock was able to relate that while there exist numerous differences between women, there are specific aspects shared by the majority. These aspects include provision of nurturance and caregiving as well as unpaid household labor. The proponents of standpoint theory presume that it is of value in a number of ways. However, it is controversial, thus another resource that contributes to feminism, alongside the modern political, philosophic, and scientific discussions. The innovation from the theory brings to light new perceptions on some of the most challenging and anxiety-generating contemporary dilemmas.

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The standpoint theory emerged between the 1970s and the 1980s, as a critical feminist theory addressing the link between knowledge production and practice of power (Harding, 2004, 1). The historical grounding of standpoint theory in Hartsock's comprehension of the nature of the relationship between a master and a slave. In a relationship, the dominant group does not only possess the objective power, but also the ideological power. This means that the dominant groups will always control how discourses to issues are framed. While the subjective viewpoint of the dominant group is not objective, the dominance allows the group to ensure ideology and control discourse. Hartsock's standpoint theories attempt to correct this bias by examining how individuals' fundamental conventions about the world are determined by their positions within the world.

Week 2 Response

In the essay "Throwing like a Girl," Young revisits the gender stereotypes that challenge the feminine body. From the statement, women fail to exploit their body's lateral and spatial potentialities. This generates the stereotype that the reason behind this is due to the fact that men are stronger, and move easier (Young, 2005, 141). The essay is a direct contradiction to a study by an American psychologist, Erwin Strauss, which stressed that difference between how girls and boys throw may be attributed to the varying biology of the two, even when there is no physical proof.

Additionally, the concept of intersectionality does adequately explain the hybridity of the embodied identities. The concept is built on the premise that the different forms of domination intersect with each other, and have the ability to modify each other. Intersectional approaches reveal the relationships between forms of disadvantage in ways that are not visible to dominant discourses. By 'throwing like a girl,' Young means that women do not move effectively on their own terms for their own bodies. Rather, they act awkwardly, refusing to capitalize and take advantage of their abilities and strengths. The way men and women use their bodies is remarkably different, since men move with fluidity and confidence, while feminine bodies use limited movements.

Week 3 Response

From Ruddick's reading, 'maternal thinking' is a concept that charts the delicate and nearly invisible process that was initially referred to as moral education, and the way outlines the heart and mind of the child and that of their educator (Ruddick, 1998, 5). The concept is built on the insights, intelligence, and virtues which are only developed through training and care that has been the responsibility of women traditionally.

It is safe to say that the concept of 'maternal thinking' is a progressive step in feminist theory. When applied to politics, the concept holds that politics stemming from maternal thinking are rather resistant. Ruddick acknowledges the peaceful docile female and bellicose active male stereotype. Nonetheless, she employs feminist standpoint theory to legitimize a politics characterized by peace, and one that draws on the basics of maternal thinking. According to Ruddick, peace, politics are in direct contradiction with masculinity, and are particularly feminist. Through the concept of maternal thinking, Ruddick nurtures a much bigger theme: the theme of the potential of the gentle application of power and authority. The concept is illuminative and reminds the reader about mothering as a conscious activity that requires decisions and choices, and one that while it might seem ordinary and often goes unnoticed, it is both important and challenging. Through this, Ruddick pushes forward the feminist theory.

Week 4 Response

The politics of knowledge is an idea built on the contemporary dominant and hegemonic forms of knowledge. The idea of hegemonic control in organizations communicates the casualness quality with which numerous individuals employ control or are subjected to it, without completely monitoring this type of impact. Hegemony uncovers control as an enchanting procedure instead of a danger. It is a specific type of impact, one which did not depend on the utilization of brutality or pressure, yet on the ordinary furthermore, simple way things go within an organization.

In this section, the chosen research question is whether feminist politics can endure in the face of varied women's understandings that have been molded by society or race, sexual alignment, class and race. This research will apply the empirical and critical realist research methods. These methods draw upon philosophical explanations of probability and decision-making, on inductive methods, including grounded theory, and on institutional and behavioral explanations of stable and emerging organizations. Such methods include hypothesis tests, confidence intervals, and inference on overall.

Reference List

Hartsock, N.C. (1983). The feminist standpoint: Developing the ground for a specifically feminist historical materialism. In Discovering reality (pp. 283-310). Springer, Dordrecht.

Ruddick, S. (1989). Maternal thinking: Toward a politics of peace.

Young, I.M. (2005). On female body experience:" Throwing like a girl" and other essays. Oxford University Press.

Harding, S.G. ed. (2004). The feminist standpoint theory reader: Intellectual and political controversies. Psychology Press.