Death of the Armchair Activist: Pragmatic Understandings of Feminist Knowledge
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Date
1996-06
Authors
Trigilio, Josephine
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Engaging in the development of feminist thinking is an act of self- creation and world-creation . Because feminism is fundamentally a socio-political project, feminist thinking ought to be immanent in feminist practice and action, thereby inverting traditional hierarchies which understand theory as guiding practice. An inclusive feminism needs to be inclusive in practice, not theory, and requires the maximization of democratic, grassroot participation in the decisions, activities and practices that structure feminism. I argue that the academic institutionalization of feminist theory exacerbates the growing gap between theory and practice within feminist movements in the U. S. by creating a class of feminist knowledge specialists who produce hypertheoretical discourses. These discourses, instead of a rising out of particular socio-political problems and needs, develop out of the framework of existing academic discourses, and are difficult for non-specialists to access and assess. The proliferation and normalization of hypertheoretical discourses both raises questions about the types of power relations they produce, and serve to distance academic feminist theory from feminist politics and practice .
I argue that instead of attempting to ground feminist practice and action in knowledge, feminist knowledge iv projects should arise out of, be situated within, and guided by attempts to work through socio-political problems. I suggest that feminists abandon commitments to particular epistemological approaches and proceed pragmatically, that is, begin within the context of concrete social, cultural, and political situations and problems.
Pragmatic understandings of epistemology would permit feminists to be free to select or develop the epistemological approach best suited for the needs and goals of specific socio-political projects. Assessments and judgments about approaches to knowledge cannot be established a priori to, or outside of, particular projects because these evaluations are always relative to what needs to be known and why. The key to proceeding pragmatically is that, in very important ways, practice precedes theory. It is more a way of preaching what you practice, than practicing what you preach .
Pragmatic approaches to feminist knowledge mark the end of the armchair activist because they require that feminist theorists become involved in feminist communities and networks that are to give direction and form to knowledge projects.
Description
239 pages