Feminist vs. Womanist Epistemology

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the term 'womanist', which is used to generally describe the act of acting womanly. The paper explores how this definition includes behavior that is willful, courageous or audacious, according to Alice Walker, who coined the term "womanist epistemology." The paper further examines how the term "feminist" generally takes on another meaning, referring to females or women whose primary intent includes promoting the rights and equal opportunities of women. The writer proposes that the feminist approach is more negative and oppressive in nature, calling too much attention to the negative influence and practices of men in a patriarchal society. The writer argues that while it is important to call attention to oppressive practices, it is important to view a new paradigm with respect to the community as a whole.

From the Paper:

"It is different from feminist epistemology as feminist's emphasis tends to be the oppression of women, primarily white women, without addressing categories of race and economics in its approach (Thomas, 1999). Womanist epistemology takes a more comprehensive approach and rather than focus on creating a "paradigm over against men" as it typical with feminist approaches, it offers an approach that recognizes "patriarchal systems as problematic" for the entire community, including women, men and children (Thomas, 1999). Thus it is less likely to pit men against women. Womanist epistemology focuses more on cultural knowledge and attempts to encourage philosophers to examine the dominant cultural themes that influence our living and general practices (Andersen & Hill, 1992; Thomas, 1999)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anderson, Elizabeth, "Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2004 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), 22, March, 2006: <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2004/entries/feminism-epistemology/>.
• Andersen, M.L. & Hill, P. (1992). Race, class and gender: An anthology. Belmont; Wadsworth Publishing.
• Grasswick, H. & Andersen, N. (2000). "Feminist Epistemology." UCSU. 22, March 2006: <http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~brindell/soc-epistemology/Bibliographies/Feminist_Soc_Epis/>
• Thomas, L.E. (1999). "Womanist theology, epistemology and a new anthropological paradigm." Cross Currents, 48(4): Winter. 22, March 2006: <http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/256.html>
• "What is feminist epistemology?" Washington University. 22, March, 2006: <http://faculty.washington.edu/wtalbott/phil450/trfem.htm>

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