‘Do you really want to hear about my life?’: doing ‘feminist research’ with women in sex work in Eastern India

ABSTRACT

This article reflects on insights gathered from doing feminist research during my doctoral studies in international development. My research focused on the lives of women formerly and currently in sex work in Eastern India, and their experiences and resistance of everyday violence. I argue that the adoption of a life-history interviewing method created possibilities to move away from standard topics associated with sex work, and allowed women in sex work to discuss the dynamism and fluidity within their lives, within, before, and after sex work. I also explore how this method enabled the theme of koshto (pain) to emerge which challenges the framing of violence in sex work as exceptional. I argue that women in sex work need to feel heard and acknowledged within feminist research, not simply as subjects of knowledge gathering or to inform development discourses and interventions, but as human beings with dynamic personhoods. Finally, I share lessons learnt which can be useful to future feminist researchers researching sex work, within a current environment of ideologically polarised discussions on victimhood and agency in sex work.     

Feminism and casework

Abstract

In my casework with women I have been impressed by the striking similarities in their experiences, particularly as wives and mothers, and in their feelings about themselves. Even more surprising has been the fact that most of the women I have worked with have considered themselves 'unique' in these feelings and deficient because of them. Feelings of low self-esteem, of failure in their socially ascribed roles and confusion about these feelings are common. In trying to understand the difficulties and conflicts confronted by these women (and the similarities I find they bear to my own feelings) I have found the feminist analysis of women's psychology and a feminist approach to therapy most informative. I present here my early attempts to integrate a feminist theory into my psychodynamically oriented casework.     

Political elites and the pragmatic paradigm: Notes from a feminist researcher - in the field and out to lunch

This essay seeks to offer some reflections on doing research with political elites where those elites also happen to be women. It tries to show some of the excitements and frustrations of doing research with elite subjects in elite settings, when the researcher is always the stranger and the person with the least power in an otherwise very powerful and intimidating environment. It addresses some of the tensions in 'doing' feminist research with women with whom the researcher does not empathize and discusses the extent to which those differences actually matter when ranged against the much bigger considerations of gender and patriarchal relations.     

‘Why would I want to be anonymous?’ Questioning ethical principles of anonymity in cross-cultural feminist research

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on anonymity in research, considering it in relation to feminist values. There has been increasing debate in the feminist literature on the universality of ethics, including reflection on principles such as anonymity. However, there has been limited discussion of the specific challenge facing feminist researchers to amplify the voices of women participants, but also to respect their wishes regarding voice and agency. Assuring anonymity can be empowering for women and girls participating in research, allowing individuals to share their experiences freely without concerns about attribution and its consequences. On the other hand, if research ethics require anonymity, this can actually deny research respondents the right to be heard and operate as a form of silencing. This article focuses on research in Bihar, India, where many of the respondents rejected the idea of anonymity. Upholding a feminist ethics of care and delivering on a feminist commitment to giving voice to women requires a focus on women’s agency in the decision-making process around ethics.     

A Reappraisal of the Quality of Women Candidates

Abstract

This article focuses on “second-wave” feminist perspectives on the role of the state and its effectiveness in removing gender-based inequality in Indian society. The major argument is that feminist rethinking of the relationship of women to the state illustrates the maturity of the Indian women's movement and its recognition that well-planned, mobilized, and effective state policies are crucial to the promotion of women's interests. Recent scholarship has addressed, more systematically and more critically than any in the past, the nexus between social and political processes and the subordination of women. It provides a contextualized and nuanced understanding of the complex interconnections between gender, state, religion, and community. Consequently, not only have feminist writings of the past two decades in India added to current gender sensitive scholarship on the state and development, they have also facilitated the construction of programmatic guides for realizing “strategic gender interests.”     

The Family and Medical Leave Law

Abstract

This essay asks whether the Family and Medical Leave Law (1993) is feminist social policy, as it was touted to be by its political supporters. The study takes three approaches to feminism outlined by Lorber in her 2001 text, Gender Inequality: Feminist Theories and Politics, which considers women in their roles as mothers and workers. Data taken from a Department of Labor FMLA utilization study are then analyzed in the context of these three approaches to feminism. I conclude that the FMLA is not feminist in a substantive way despite its symbolic value.     

Making feminism count: integrating feminist research principles in large-scale quantitative research on violence against women and girls

ABSTRACT

Applying a feminist approach to research on ending violence against women and girls (VAWG) is critical because gender inequality is an underlying driver of VAWG, and feminist research aims to empower women and girls, as well as challenge prevailing inequalities through the research process itself. However, feminist research approaches have not historically been applied in the international development sector, although statistical evidence on what works to end VAWG is in high demand from governments and donors. In this article, we explore how researchers could practically reconcile an explicitly feminist undertaking, like ending VAWG, when accepted research practices within this field employ methods that are historically not informed by feminist praxis. We argue that quantitative research and feminist research approaches are not mutually exclusive, rather, they can (and do) overlap. Drawing on five decades of combined experience conducting quantitative studies on VAWG in low- and middle-income countries around the world, we highlight the challenges and opportunities for incorporating feminist research principles throughout the research process – from design, community engagement, data collection, analysis, dissemination, and policy influence. We draw on practical examples from research conducted in countries as diverse as Timor-Leste, Kiribati, and Sri Lanka, among others, illustrating that it is not only possible to apply feminist research principles to large-scale, quantitative survey research on VAWG, but that this should become a priority for good development practice.     

Discovering Women with Disabilities

Abstract

The unique characteristics, strengths, and challenges facing women with disabilities are discussed. A feminist perspective is used to identify and understand the implications for developing policy, and providing services for and practicing with women with disabilities. Rather than utilize a traditional paradigm that places the “problem” within the individual woman with a disability, disability is explored within a social context.     

Gendered Perceptions of Community Needs and Concerns

Abstract

Acentral tenet of feminism is that women engage in community practice differently than men. This study explores whether gender differences exist in perceptions of community needs, strengths, problems and responsibilities. Also examined are differences within male and female groups along the dimensions of race, location, years at current address and ownership status. This analysis is based on survey responses from 191 residents in one urban community. Contrary to feminist theory, findings reveal strong agreement between men and women. There were, however, numerous differences within gender groups, especially among women. Implications for feminist scholarship, community practice, and social work education are discussed.     

‘If we stop,the world stops’: the 2018 feminist strike in Spain

ABSTRACT

Under the slogan ‘If we stop, the world stops’, the Spanish feminist movement organized a 24-hour labour, education, care and consumption women’s strike on 8 March 2018 that amazed both international and national public opinion. After all, Spain has traditionally been a Catholic country and its feminist movement is barely institutionalized, lacking both structure and funding. The present profile sets out to account for the 8M strike and points to a long organization process within a broad protest cycle as keys to its success.     

Gender Role Identity and Stress in African American Women

Abstract

Womanism is a feminist perspective that has recently been appropriated for social work practice with African American women (Littlefleld, in press). It emphasizes the centrality of gender role in African American women's psychosocial adaptation, and asserts that the archetypal gender role for this group incorporates both nurturing and economic providing functions. This gender role fluidity has been characterized both as a source of strength (Billingsley, 1992; Hill, 1999) and strain (Lewis, 1989; McAdoo, 1985). The present study empirically investigated the relationship between gender role identity and stress in African American women to clarify its adaptive value. The Bem Sex Role Inventory was used to classify subjects into groups based on the degree to which they identified themselves with stereotypically masculine and feminine traits. Women who endorsed high levels of both masculine and feminine traits experienced lower levels of stress than did other women. The findings indicate that gender role identity is a factor in African American women's psychosocial well-being, and that mainstream gender role norms may not be adequate for analyzing the experiences of this group.     

Romance and agency: An argument revisited

Sociological discussions of romance novels are sparse. As a cultural artifact, the formulaic genre of romance fiction (and its more than 50 million readers) has been ignored by many scholars, disdained by some for its mass‐pop culture appeal, and condemned as a tool of the “patriarchal apparatus” by others. Some feminist scholars have cautioned against outright dismissal, however, pointing to oppositional codes and empowering elements in the texts themselves. Others have highlighted the expectations readers bring with them to the text. This important, though limited, discourse has contributed to the enduring debate over culture, that is, structure versus agency. We argue that the debate has remained one sided, as those who claim to afford women readers autonomy have done so within an equally deterministic framework (i.e., feminist politics). Implications for affording readers even more autonomy are discussed.     

The space between us: feminist values and humanitarian power dynamics in research with refugees

ABSTRACT

International humanitarian and development agencies striving to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment sometimes neglect to recognise the power hierarchies present in their own engagement with communities. Drawing on research on Syrian refugees and humanitarian workers in Jordan, this article explores the research and monitoring and evaluation practices of international humanitarian agencies. It suggests that the emphasis on generating evidence has resulted in more transactional and less relational engagement with refugees. This paper asks how feminist values can inform research with refugees, and explores how these values may provide less-extractive ways of engaging with displaced populations.     

Policies as Gendering Practices: Re-Viewing Categorical Distinctions

ABSTRACT

For some time feminist scholars have been concerned with rethinking the constraints imposed on feminists’ strategies by categorical distinctions, such as the distinction between “women” and “men.” This issue has become more pressing due to a political commitment to recognize diversity among women and among men (consider here discussions of masculinities and intersectionality). This article offers the conceptualization of policies as gendering practices as a way to rethink categorical distinctions and to direct attention to how inequality is “done.” In this approach the focus shifts from considering how policies impact on women and men to asking how they constitute or make them come to be. More broadly, this contribution recommends the need to examine policies for their interacting, constitutive effects, asking how they are potentially gendering, racializing, heteronorming, classing, disabling, third-worldizing, etc.     

Groupwork with women who have a child with a developmental disability

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to show how groupwork with a feminist approach can be an effective and empowering form of intervention for women who are mothers of a child with a developmental disability. Women are usually the primary carers and are often isolated with no-one to share their thoughts, feelings and concerns. A group provides an opportunity to bring some of these women together to share their experiences and offer each other emotional support, feedback and practical help. The content of the group looks at issues related to women in general as well as specific issues related to disability.     

The Haemophilia Society

Abstract

A popular feminist principle in community work emphasises egalitarian relations between women. The ‘false equality trap’ of sisterhood has been highlighted recently through demonstrating women's different experiences of gender oppression. However, in making experiential diversity the starting point for practice it is possible to overlook power relations. A gendered relations perspective keeps the relations between men and women to the fore, while not precluding relative power differences between women. This perspective ensures that political institutions and practices become targets for change. In contrast, experiential diversity necessitates individual empowerment work and collective action based on local and unique circumstances. This perspective may encourage strategies which are inward-looking and which sidestep mainstream political institutions. Feminist community work needs to be judged according to its contribution to constraining the reproduction of patriarchal power relations. Feminist-inspired community development must operate in tandem with social action, policy reform, prefigurative strategies and above all, political reform.     

Psychotherapy for better and for worse; A women's issue

Abstract

The incorporation of a feminist appraoch into most psychodynamic therapies has as much to do with a need to please the greatest consumers -women as with an acceptance of the powerful theoretical arguments, important though these are.     

Elder Abuse: Feminist and Ageist Perspectives

ABSTRACT

Elder abuse research reports little consensus regarding gender and age. This project examined 99 incidents of elder abuse by an adult child and 86 incidents of elder abuse by a spouse, and compared the groups using the variables: gender, age, and incidents. The results are discussed from a feminist and age perspective. Differences between the groups were found, namely that elder abuse by an adult child is most likely to be financial abuse. Traditional ideas about women and men, as well as ideas about the nature of the old were found to be factors in elder abusive relationships.     

Feminism and couple therapy

Abstract

I began this paper as a fairly innocuous statement of gender issues in couple therapy, from the point of view of a psychiatrist/family therapist working in private practice. Two factors began to influence the writing. Firstly, much of the material I felt to be appropriate to the subject has already been written well by others e.g. Hare-Mustin (1978), Goldner (1985) James and Mclntire (1983). Secondly, I realised I was drawn to write on areas which many feminist writers have largely left untouched, namely the part played by gender issues in die conceptualization and treatment of major psychiatric disorders, especially the psychoses.

Treacher & Baruch (1980), Scull (1977) and Szasz (1961) notwithstanding, mainstream psychiatry still treats major disorders as if they are physical illnesses. We have the public perpetuation of the myth that schizophrenia is an illness “just like diabetes or Alzheimer's disease” (Fuller-Torrey and Deveson) and the inculcation in both patients and their families of the belief that usually a young adult, suffers from an incurable brain disease. Psychoeducational programmes add insult to injury by teaching families about excess dopamine in the synapses causing (“perhaps”) the conviction that FBI agents are following the patient. The synapse is like “a space capsule and a space station with a docking port”.

What has this to do with women or couple therapy? It occurred to me that the cases in which I had seen the most blatant sexism, eiUier in the family itself or in the treatment teams, were those in which a member of the family had a serious mental illness. Just as the police in the Yorkshire Ripper case were hampered in their pursuit and apprehension of the culprit by their stereotypic view of what kind of man would commit these crimes (“someone mad, not like us, but who hates prostitutes”) (Smith 1989), so psychiatrists trained in patriarchial systems are blinded to gender-related issues which are of prime importance to proper diagnosis and intervention. As this point of view is not stressed by most critics of traditional psychiatry, I decided to use it as the focus of this paper.     

Conservative twist and challenges for Peru and Latin America: civilizing crossroads in a context of epochal change (reflections in process)

ABSTRACT

The paper takes stock of the WSF experience and the running out of steam of the pink wave in Latin America. It is written from the perspective of radical feminism in the region to interrogate the interrelations between the multiple systems of power formed by patriarchy, capitalism and colonialism and their impact on people’s lives, arguing that feminist struggles for sexual and reproductive rights, for the right to decide, for a secular state that breaks the religious tutelage over women’s bodies, along with many kinds of other struggles, demand not only recognition but also the defence of diverse ways of life and visions of the world. In these struggles, the paper claims, it is fundamental to expand the epistemological and social space and to recover other cultural matrices and frameworks of meaning.