Wrestling with standpoint theory… some thoughts on standpoint and African feminism.
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Date
2010
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis (Routledge)/UNISA Press.
Abstract
This essay attempts to probe the theory of standpoint feminism, and the charge of epistemic privilege associated with the theory. Standpoint theory itself can be seen to have emerged in the context of feminist critical theory attempting to explain the relationship between the production of knowledge and practices of power (Harding, 2004: 1). The essay attempts to probe the efficacy of a standpoint epistemic within the framework of the various asymmetries embedded in the lived experiences of women in African contexts. The essay works through the notion of ‘entanglement’ (Nuttall, 2009) which refers to the meshed and particular historical connections of an individual or group. It explores, through ethnographic
insights, whether standpoint epistemology is able to offer a theoretical understanding of Black African women who are likewise ‘entangled’ within a particular archive of local socio-cultural and economic specificities.
Description
Keywords
Feminism--Africa., Feminist standpoint theory.
Citation
Naidu, M. 2010. Wrestling with standpoint theory… some thoughts on standpoint and African feminism. Agenda, 83 (Special issue: Feminisms) 24-35.