McCormick+Schmitz Handbook for value chain research on - PACA

the society. Neilson (1990: 20) claims that “to consciously adopt a woman’s perspective
means to see things one did not see be<strong>for</strong>e and also to see the familiar rather differently.”
Feminist <strong>research</strong> recognises that in most societies women are subordinated to men. This
means that the perspective of a woman is not just different from that of a man in some
neutral sense. Rather it reflects her situation as a member of a disadvantaged group.
Feminist <strong>research</strong> starts by seeking a more complete understanding of reality, especially
the impact of gendered institutions on people’s lives. It does not, however, stop there.
Feminist <strong>research</strong> also concerns itself with consciousness raising and with using <strong>research</strong>
to empower women and trans<strong>for</strong>m society.
The orientation of feminist <strong>research</strong> affects its methodologies. For one thing, feminist
scholars allow themselves to enter into the situation of the <strong>research</strong>ed in ways that might
be seen as inappropriate in traditional <strong>research</strong>, where objectivity is believed to require
strict separation of <strong>research</strong>er and <strong>research</strong> subject. Especially, but not only, when both
<strong>research</strong>er and respondent are women, occasions may arise in which the <strong>research</strong>er is in a
position to share experiences and/or knowledge with the respondent in ways that aim at
increasing her power. Viewed as a violation of the strict separation of <strong>research</strong>er and
subject in conventional <strong>research</strong>, this would be acceptable and even expected in the
context of feminist <strong>research</strong>. It should be emphasised here that the consciousness raising
and learning go both ways. Researchers report having learned a great deal about their own
reality when the conditions were right <strong>for</strong> give and take with respondents.
Feminist <strong>research</strong> borrows many of its data collection methods from traditional and
participatory <strong>research</strong>, but tends to emphasise the qualitative over the quantitative
approaches. Feminist scholars analyse secondary sources, interview key in<strong>for</strong>mants,
engage in participant observation; they may even administer surveys. To these they add
visual methods, conversational analysis, and other participatory and qualitative methods.
Triangulation allows them to test their own findings. This allows <strong>for</strong> the interaction of
quantitative and qualitative methods. It is especially important in cases where rejection of
certain accepted methods leaves feminist <strong>research</strong>ers open to the criticism of being
‘unscientific.’
122