Nature and scope of feminist method in social science research

Feminists believe that 'there is a distinctively feminist method of inquiry'. Feminist research is carried out by women and drawing on the experience of women in a world where they are subordinate to men. Many writers have distinguished feminist research from others on four grounds which include:

1. Focusing on gender relations : Its central concern with gender as opposed to conventional social science, which is largely an expression of men which represent the male dominance voice in the patriarchal society, has increased research on gender related issues.

2. The validity of personal experience as against conventional emphasize on scientific method : As per this belief personal experiences can't be validated or nullified. They are something which are felt and these experiences and feelings are real for the women going through it. They consider objectivity and neutrality as a masculine perspective in order to exercise power and control. Objectivity for feminists is an excuse being used for power relationship which treat women as mere objects and keep them in subordinate position by men. Feminists strongly criticized those who object the significance of personal experience and do not consider it as valid and true.

3. Rejecting hierarchy in research relationship between the researcher and the researched : Feminists believe that research process should not be mere a means of collecting data; it should rather be a mean of sharing information with personal involvement of the researcher in the research setting. Feminists reject hierarchy on three points which are ethical grounds, methodology of research and respondents' engaging characteristic. Feminists are concerned about accuracy of the information that depicts the lives and experiences of women. It is suggested that the researcher is required to take the finalized information back to the research participants for its verification because they are the real owners and experts of their personal life experiences.

4. The adoption of emancipation of women as the goal of research : research for sake of research is insufficient. The change of the status quo must be the starting point of the scientific inquiry. The research must serve the interests of women. Feminist research should aim to provide recommendations for policy change with the researcher being a part of the collective efforts involved in political activity. Therefore feminist research is not about women, rather it is for women to be used in changing their sexist society.

Writers like Hammersley has challenged the foundations of the feminist research as he criticized the basic components on which feminists laid their foundation. he opined that many of the ideas on which feminist research is based are found in the non-feminist literature also. Nevertheless, there is an overwhelming recognition that the feminist approach has brought considerable gain to the development of social research through the positive and creative production of knowledge and should not be undermined.