Article S6.4 Research as a Gendered Practice Seminar Leader: Elinor W. Gadon Brandeis University, USA elinorgadon2000[at]yahoo.com Our perceptions of the world differ. It is as if we use different lenses to view the world. The process of research may not be free from the effects of these lenses. When a researcher begins from a standpoint, it can influence both the progress and the outcome of the study. Researchers are not always fully aware of the various dimensions of their standpoints and how these dimensions might interact with the research process. Gender is one such dimension that can potentially influence a researcher’s work and hence it requires our attention. Gender refers to masculine and feminine social orientations, as opposed to being physically male or female, which are biological designations. Carl Jung’s psychoanalytic theory relates these social orientations to the expression of one’s inner self, which includes anima (female archetype) and animus (male archetype).The combination of biological programming and social orientation conditions our being, through a process of gender scripting. The term script suggests the presence of narrative elements, that is, stories of who we are and directions on how we may act. One’s gender-script dictates how one is supposed to act as male or female, and it is based on stereotypes learnt from the media and the world around (e.g., from the ideas of purity and pollution learnt from religion). This is an important topic in the literature on gender identity and gender-role development (further reading listed below). Such conditioning can also affect the way research is done. In the social and behavioural science areas, at every step in the research process, we often find evidence of gender influence, be it the selection of research topics, the framing of research question or hypothesis, or the choices in research methodology. Even research itself is not beyond gender scripting. For example, research on nursing is often done by women, while research on stock markets is often done by men. The vocabulary of research appears to be different in the fields of nursing and stock trading. This indicates research as a gendered practice. A key challenge in research is to make the results discussable and criticisable in the scholarly community. Towards this, the researcher needs to be conscious of any standpoints which may interfere with what are perceived and presented as “facts.” Understanding the role of gender could be a step in this direction. Gender plays many roles in the research process. Its impact can be seen at almost all stages of research, particularly in social and behavioural sciences. For example, while conducting interviews, the way the interviewer listens, what he or she listens to, and how he or she interprets body language or gestures, are all likely to be gender scripted. A theoretical understanding of gender can be used to develop new results and new meanings in research, especially in areas where gender differences are considered relevant. In such areas, data are often grouped under male/female categories. What if we group the same data not in terms of biological categories but in terms of social orientations of the respondents--as indicated, for instance, by the relative development of one’s anima and animus archetypes? The results may be different. Gender is particularly important in the field of management. Social realities of gender difference get reflected in the workplace. However, with the growing presence of women workers and managers, organisations need to become aware of how the gender issues affect the overall performance. For example, socially constructed gender roles can prevent the fuller development of the potential of women employees. Borrowing from Giri (see Article S6.2 in this issue), the relevance of mothering was discussed as a model for corporate managers. The idea seems to be related to Sara Ruddick’s concept of maternal thinking (Ruddick, 1995). It refers to a distinctly maternal way of being and relating that blends the type of thoughts, feelings, and actions that spring from the maternal instinct. This kind of being and relating can breed respect for individual differences and enable the development of human potential, especially when applied in business and politics. The concept of gender, quite like the concept of family, is evolving in response to changing social trends, especially those in relation to identity, intimacy, and sexuality. The simpler two-fold male/female categorisation is failing to capture all the relevant gender dynamics, as several other types of social and sexual orientation are gaining importance, such as bisexual, transsexual, metrosexual, and so forth. The state of mixed-up gender categories in society and the emergence of unconventional categories is referred to as the phenomenon of “gender soup.” It has implications for how we understand gender and how we adapt research to reflect it. Reference Ruddick, S. (1995). Maternal thinking: Toward a politics of peace. Boston: Beacon. Further Reading Lever, J. (1976). Sex differences in the games children play. Social Problems, 23, 478-487. Levy, G. D., & Fivush, R. (1993). Scripts and gender: A new approach for examining gender-role development. Developmental Review, 13(2), 126-146. Miller, J. B. (1991). The development of women's sense of self. In J. Jordan, A. Kaplan, J. B. Miller, L. P. Stiver, & J. L. Surrey (Eds.), Women's growth in connection: Writings from the Stone Center (pp. 11-26). New York: Guilford. Surrey, J. L. (1991). The "self-in-relation": A theory of women's development. In J. Jordan, A. Kaplan, J. B. Miller, J. P. Stiver, & J. L. Surrey (Eds.), Women's growth in connection: Writings from the Stone Center (pp. 51-66). New York: Guilford.
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