What Is Feminist Standpoint Theory

Standpoint theory is explicitly social and political in nature, offering two perspectives on both the natural and social sciences. It exposes how scientific methodologies and hypotheses, as well as social and health policies, are constructed to maintain the power structures of dominant social groups, thereby contributing to “distorted and partial accounts of nature’s regularities and underlying causal tendencies” (Harding, 2004, p.26) that run counter to stated ideals. Standpoint theory also claims that the growth of knowledge is promoted by the recognition of social and political factors, rather than impeded by their inclusion (Harding, 2004, p. 26). Because of this, standpoint theory helps to provide an understanding of how diversity (e.g.,

Rather than being focused solely on feminist standpoint, Mahowald (1996) suggests amending standpoint theory to include both feminist’s and women’s standpoints so as to account for the diversity of women as individuals and as members of other groups (101).

Extending feminist standpoint theory to individuals is consistent with versions of feminism due to the commonality of each’s emphasis on context and relationships, and each’s critique of stereotypically conceived gender roles (Mahowald, 1996, 101). Mahowald (1996) says that the focus on context and relationships involves attention to the many kinds of relationships that individuals women have, both to others and others to them (101). In this sense, an expanded version of standpoint theory continues to maintain a critical attitude towards the relationships and roles that support the oppression of women against the domination of men, whether as groups or individuals. Critical consideration is then given to the diversity of both individual and group women’s