Janet Holland

Lisa Adkins

The study of sexuality is moving from margin to centre stage in sociology, as the 1994 British Sociological Association annual conference on 'Sexualities in Social Context' demonstrated. Drawn from that conference, the papers in this volume contribute to the debates which have developed on the relationship between the sexual and the social, and between gender and sexuality. The focus is on women, and from different perspectives the authors explore the themes of gendered identity, the construction of sexuality, embodiment and control. The social contexts in which these themes are elaborated include the family, the law, the education system, medical practice and discourse, and cultural representations and texts.

Sex, Sensibility and the Gendered Body

Caroline Ramazanoglu

"Who would be a feminist now? Contemporary 'political realism' suggests that the essentials of the battle have already been won, and the current generation of women entering University is used to seeing feminism presented as 'old fashioned', 'extreme' and 'unrealistic'. Challenging such assumptions, this important new book argues for the value of empirical investigations of gendered life, and brings together the theoretical, political and practical aspects of feminist methodology. Feminist Methodology: a- demonstrates how feminist approaches to methodology engage with debates in western philosophy to raise critical questions about knowledge production; b- shows that feminist methodology has a distinctive place in social research; c- guides the reader through the terrain of feminist methodology and clarifies how feminists can claim knowledge of gendered social existence; and d- connects abstract issues of theory with issues in fieldwork practice." -- Back cover.

Challenges and Choices

Feminist Methodology

Rosalind Edwards

What is Qualitative Interviewing? is an accessible and comprehensive 'what is' and 'how to' methods book. It is distinctive in emphasising the importance of good practice in understanding and undertaking qualitative interviews within the framework of a clear philosophical position. Rosalind Edwards and Janet Holland provide clear and succinct explanations of a range of philosophies and theories of how to know about the social world, and a thorough discussion of how to go about researching it using interviews. A series of short chapters explain and illustrate a range of interview types and practices. Drawing on their own and colleagues' experiences Holland and Edwards provide real research examples as informative illustrations of qualitative interviewing in practice, and the use of a range of creative interview tools. They discuss the use of new technologies as well as tackling enduring issues around asking and listening and power dynamics in research. Written in a clear and accessible style the book concludes with a useful annotated bibliography of key texts and journals in the field. What is Qualitative Interviewing? provides a vital resource for both new and experienced social science researchers across a range of disciplines.

What is Qualitative Interviewing?

`An accessible, clearly explained review of difficult concepts within this arena as well as relevant debates. Its strengths are in outlining possible considerations that need to be taken into account when making methodological choices. It also clearly explains how these choices impact knowledge production. This book would undoubtedly be of considerable use to anyone seeking to understand and get to grips with feminist methodological issues' - Feminism and Psychology Who would be a feminist now? Contemporary 'political realism' suggests that the essentials of the battle have already been won, and the current generation of women entering University is used to seeing feminism presented as 'old fashioned', 'extreme' and 'unrealistic'. Challenging such assumptions, this important new book argues for the value of empirical investigations of gendered life, and brings together the theoretical, political and practical aspects of feminist methodology. Feminist Methodology - demonstrates how feminist approaches to methodology engage with debates in western philosophy to raise critical questions about knowledge production - shows that feminist methodology has a distinctive place in social research - guides the reader through the terrain of feminist methodology and clarifies how feminists can claim knowledge of gendered social existence - connects abstract issues of theory with issues in fieldwork practice. This timely and accessible book will be an essential resource for students in women's studies, gender studies, sociology, cultural studies, social anthropology and feminist psychology.

Maud Blair

Sue Sheldon

The articles in this book engage with practical issues relating to teaching and research. The way in which gender and education is theorized is currently in a period of profound change, and this presents a major challenge to feminist teachers who want to translate explanations for gender relations into transformative action in the classroom. Several of the authors in this collection consider the possibilities and practicalities of transformative feminist pedagogies, identifying the "pedagogic moments" into which challenge and change can be introduced, without distorting or denying the students' experience. Another section contains articles which present the results of classroom research, dealing with issues of class, gender, "race" and sexuality. We can see from the results of these recent studies that class, "race" and gender continue to position students differently throughout the whole school and the entire curriculum. Research on teacher education reported here indicates that gender differences are produced and reproduced in that context. A final section of the book deals with the ongoing and lively debate on feminist methodology and epistemology, indicating the variety of approaches and positions that are being taken up in this area.

Janet Holland

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