FSD Newsletter - Feminist Scholarship and Activism: An On-going Debate

In a 1991 article, feminist scholars Joan Acker, Kate Barry and Johanna Esseveld wrote: "The goal of a sociology of women, one that is in the interest of women rather than only about women, must be emancipatory." Most feminist scholars would agree that their work cannot be that of the detached, objective researcher of the traditional academy. Despite this goal, however, a disconnect between theory and activism continues to be fodder for debate.

"It's often said that the distinction between theory and activism is a false dichotomy, and there are strong conceptual and practical arguments that can be made in support of this position," said Dr. Lisa McLaughlin, a professor in both the Communication Department and in the Women’s Studies program at Miami University, Ohio. "But because of the political economy of the institution that we work in, the theory and activism split tends to be very real, if we want to be honest about it."*

Feminist scholars inside of academia continue to strive to overcome the institutional constraints tied to funding, tenure, and promotion, while also working toward creating research that will be meaningful to the real lives of women throughout the world. The quandary then for many feminist scholars remains trying to find a balance between the two worlds of academia and activism. Different scholars have developed their own solutions to this dilemma.

One way that Mclaughlin is attempting to bridge the gap between scholarship and activism is by combining the two through her work on and with Isis International - Manila. Framing her study through a feminist participatory action framework, McLaughlin will collaborate with Isis to "explore the structures, process, and patterns of interaction within Isis International, its constituencies, and other NGOs in the Asia Pacific region, and between Isis International and the civil society organizations participating in the World Summit on the Information Society."

Isis, an NGO formed in 1974 to provide feminist news and information resource services for the World Conferences on Women, has been actively working to influence the agenda, themes, and outcomes of the first WSIS conference to be held in Geneva in 2003. The WSIS is being coordinated by the International Telecommunication Union, an NGO-averse member of the United Nations.

McLaughlin’s collaborative research project with Isis is part of her on-going exploration of women, communicative access, and the United Nations.

"I’m an absolute advocate of Isis International. My goal isn’t to come in with a critical analysis of the organization," said McLaughlin. "I’m interested in how they deal with the political economic barriers that they have to confront as an NGO " I’m looking most critically at the institutions that prevent or limit their access."

Despite her intentions, McLaughlin still had to overcome issues of distrust. Years of exploitation by the academy have left many activist groups hesitant to allow their projects to be studied.

"One of the most interesting parts of this was negotiating the whole research process with Isis. They saw this white, feminist researcher from the West and perceived a power imbalance in my favor," she said. "I saw their point, even though I felt like I wasn’t worthy because I have so much respect for what they do. All perceptions contain a kernel of truth, and, in this case, there's more than a kernel of truth. You really have to overcome it by being as honest as possible."

Feminist scholar Audrey Gadzekpo, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, explained that in Ghana women academics have formed a group called the Development and Women’s Studies (DAWS) group as a way to link activism and feminist scholarship. The DAWS holds meetings, where the members share research from various academic fields and plan activist work. One of the current projects they are undertaking is review of draft legislation on violence against women.

"Many DAWS members are also on the boards of women NGOs, such as Abantu (an international NGO established in 1991), so they are able to get other members to act as resource persons in seminars, etc. that they organize, many times a good outlet to make academic research accessible to the public," Gadzekpo said. "I tend to be called upon as a resource person when seminars require an academic with knowledge on media, as I have done work on women in media organizations and issues relating to media and representation. I think it is in these ways that research informs activism."

Gadzekpo added that because of her media background, she also currently is involved in battling three legislative instruments relating to the media by using research she has conducted on similar legislation in other countries.

Other feminist scholars have moved away from the institution of higher education all together, opting instead to focus their full attention on grass roots activism.

"I have always wanted to combine feminist scholarship with activism, but I respect scholars who do the work to provide the information that helps others take action," said Martha Allen, director of the Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press in Washington, D.C. "I do not expect everyone to do everything. People should choose what they are best suited for."

Allen found herself to be best suited to take charge of the WIFP, a group founded in 1972 by her mother Dr. Donna Allen. The WIFP was established as an effort to increase communication among women and the public about women’s media issues. The WIFP publishes, among other things, the Directory of Women’s Media.

"I obtained my doctorate for the specific purpose of being more competent and useful in my activism," said Allen. "I also obtained a degree to increase the chances of my being heard and taken seriously because I have found from my early radical activist days that, in general, greater respect is given to those with formal education." Allen’s reference is to her work in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s and 1970s.

In her present work with the WIFP, Allen has seen two new directions in communication open up for feminist scholars and activists: the Internet as a tool for women to speak for themselves and the development of Independent Media Centers designed to give alternative voices access to the media landscape.

"At the current time, I believe, the correspondence with women’s media efforts globally is extremely important. The movement is growing but constantly changing."

This growth and change are due to efforts of both grass roots activist and academic scholarship. Allen explained that essentially feminist scholarship and activism are intricately connected, despite the sometimes seemingly insurmountable institutional difficulties.

"For me, academic research and activism are tied together. Since I work with a nonprofit, independent organization, I have no outside pressure. The academic work that our organization might do arises from our perceived needs for progressive change. We research what we need to know more about in order to proceed in constructive directions in our society."

In their 1991 article, Acker, Barry and Esseveld identified three principles of feminist research: the research should contribute to women’s liberation through producing knowledge that can be used by women themselves, should use methods of gaining knowledge that are not oppressive, and should continually develop the feminist critical perspective that questions both the dominant intellectual traditions and reflects its own development. These goals may be difficult to reach; however, whether doing pure research, collaborative work with grass roots groups or working entirely outside of the academy, feminist scholars continue to struggle for ways to produce emancipatory knowledge.

*Discussions about feminism and activism by Lisa McLaughlin, Audrey Gadzekpo, and Martha Allen all occurred through interviews conducted specifically for the writing of this article

SIDEBAR ONE
A few nonprofits

In "Feminist Scholarship and Activism: An On-going Debate," several scholars discussed ways in which feminist scholarship and activism work or don’t work together in today’s global society. Throughout the article, certain nonprofit, grass root organizations were mentioned. Following is a list of those organizations with a brief description and contact information:
Isis International - Manilla: An NGO formed in 1974 to provide feminist news and information resource services for the World Conferences on Women. The organization focuses on "advancing women’s rights, leadership and empowerment in Asia and the Pacific."www.isiswomen.org.

Abantu: An international NGO established in 1991 to provide information ad advice meant to lead to sustainable development in Africa. The group’s mission is to "empower African people, particularly women, to participate at local, national, regional and international levels in making decisions that affect their lives enabling action for change."www.abantu.org.

Women’s Instituted for Freedom of the Press: A nonprofit research, education and publishing organization, with offices in Washington DC, USA. The WIFP was founded to "increase communication among women and reach the public with our experience, perspectives, and opinions."www.wifp.org.

SIDEBAR TWO
Feminist Scholarship, Critical Theory and Activism

Feminist scholarship reflects the goals and criteria of what communications scholar Katherine Miller (2002) calls the larger family of Critical Theories. Critical Theories, like feminism, are fundamentally concerned with revealing structural explanations for inequality in power relationships in society, and doing so in ways that enable oppressed classes (in this case women) to change those structures. Neither objective nor subjective in their relationship to their research, critical scholars' own political values and insights relative to the particular injustice being studied suggest the direction of the research. Methodology typically includes situating the problem historically; critically examining laws, policies and practices of institutions (e.g., media); and exploring instances where resistance and other human agency have brought about change.

Feminist critical scholarship in communication has focused on things like sexism in language, the gendered nature of ownership and control in media industries and public communications policies, and the role of organized feminist activism in creating new social and institutional practices in communication to benefit women. At the same time, such research has advocated for structural changes that included expansion of women-owned and controlled media. Collaboration between feminist scholars in the academy and feminist activists working in grassroots political organizations to unite theory and practice more evenly will continue to be important if women are to speak publicly and expand their influence in their communities and nations.

References
Miller, K. (2002). Communication Theories: Perspectives, processes and contexts. Boston, MA, USA: McGraw Hill Companies.