HPS104 | Psychological Science | The Standpoint Feminist Theory

Write an essay that briefly summarises and critically evaluates a work or issue.

Answer:

The sociology refers to the branch of science that is related to the study of a particular society, the social relationship patterns, the interaction of the various social beings as well as the cultural aspects and norms that are followed within the given social boundaries. The modern scientific theories that are applied to the fields of knowledge might be considered to have been composed from the neutral point of view. The following attempts a discussion on the standpoint feminist theory and the views that have been put forth by the concerned experts on the standpoint feminist theory.

The standpoint theory is known to be a theory of the postmodern era. The theory is generally utilized for the analysis of the various inter-subjective discourses. The standpoint theory majorly states that the knowledge gathered by the concerned individual helps in the matters that pertain to the creation and the maintenance of the authority that seems to be deep-rooted within the concerned individual. The theory also aims to deal with the acknowledgement of the power asserted by the achievement of the authority of the concerned individual on the concerned subject of discourses. The feminist standpoint theory majorly discusses the three key points. The first key point as discussed by the supporters of the feminist standpoint theory states that the knowledge should be situated within the society. The theory further argues that the various marginalized groups might feature in a manner the might situate them in the conditions wherein the marginalized groups should be placed in a manner so that they might acquire the ways wherein they might be made aware of the various matters that have been going around in the contemporary world. The theory also enables them to inquire and demand for the more than the knowledge more than the non-marginalized people. The theorists further state that the knowledge as well as the activities of the acquiring of the concerned knowledge is should have started with the study on the lives of the concerned individuals who belong to the marginalized sections of the society.

Collins (1986) argue that the female intellectuals with a dark-skin have long been known to have occupied the marginal positions in the settings that are related to the academics. The arguments that have been put forth by the author tend to agree to the various points that have been highlighted by the other followers of the feminist standpoint theory. The theorist further argues that the various marginalized groups might feature in a manner the might situate them in the conditions wherein the marginalized groups should be placed in a manner so that they might acquire the ways wherein they might be made aware of the various matters that have been going around in the contemporary world. The theorist states that the feminist standpoint theory also enables them to inquire and demand for the more than the knowledge more than the non-marginalized people. As argued by Collins (1986) the female intellectuals having dark-skin have been known for the fact that these intellectuals have been utilizing the various matters that pertain to their marginality in the matters that are related to the social status within the society.

Smith (1997) tends to deal with the rectification of the feminist standpoint theory. The theory states that the marginalized section of the society should be granted an extra margin over the non-marginalized section of the society. This might lead to the matters wherein the progress of the marginalized section might be observed to be higher than that of the marginalized section. This might however be considered unfair. The secularity within the concerned society should not be allowing the conditions that are related to the promotion and the upliftment of certain section of the society while ignoring the other significant part of the same society.

Smith (2012) depicts the similar opinions on the matters that pertain to the feminist standpoint theory. The article further supports that factor that the feminist standpoint theory must be rectified in order to deal with the matters that pertain to the factors that deal with the fact that the marginalized section of the society should be granted an extra margin over the non-marginalized section of the society. This might lead to the matters wherein the progress of the marginalized section might be observed to be higher than that of the marginalized section. The theory also enables them to inquire and demand for the more than the knowledge more than the non-marginalized people. The theorists further state that the knowledge as well as the activities of the acquiring of the concerned knowledge is should have started with the study on the lives of the concerned individuals who belong to the marginalized sections of the society. be made aware of the various matters that have been going around in the contemporary world. As argued by Collins (1986), the feminist standpoint theory also enables them to inquire and demand for the more than the knowledge more than the non-marginalized people.

Thus, from the above discussion, it might safely be pointed out that the modern scientific theories that are applied to the fields of knowledge might be considered to have been composed from the neutral point of view. The feminist standpoint theory should thus be advised to be revised according to the present scenarios.

References

Collins, P.H., 1986. Learning from the outsider within: The sociological significance of Black feminist thought. Social problems, 33(6), pp.s14-s32. doi:10.2307/800672

Smith, D. 2012. The conceptual practices of power. In Calhoun, C. et al., (Eds.), Contemporary Sociological Theory, 3rd edition (pp. 398-406), Oxford: Blackwell.

Smith, D.E., 1997. Comment on Hekman's" Truth and Method: Feminist Standpoint Theory Revisited". Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 22(2), pp.392-398.