Narrative Research and Feminist Knowing: A poststructural reading of women's learning in community organizations
Keywords:
women's organizations, power relationships, relational learning, women's educationAbstract
ABSTRACT. This paper reports on qualitative research with 8 board members and 8 directors of women’s social action organizations. A poststructural reading of the narrative data gives voice to an undertheorized aspect of humanist relational learning in women’s organizations and makes visible the power-relationships. The power relationships are explored and shown to be an integral part of how women learn and lead, challenging the usual reading of women as kind, caring and uncomplicated. Through the medium of narrative, this research explores women’s learned practices of resistance, and offers a paradoxical view of relational learning that attends to the ethic of care as well as to power relations. Implications for the education of women are drawn. LA RECHERCHE NARRATIVE ET LES ACQUIS FÉMINISTES : LECTURE POSTSTRUCTURELLE DE L’APPRENTISSAGE DES FEMMES DANS DES ORGANISMES COMMUNAUTAIRES RÉSUMÉ. Ce document fait état de la recherche qualitative réalisée auprès de huit membres de conseils d’administration et de huit directeurs d’organismes d’action sociale voués aux femmes. Une lecture poststructurelle des données narratives dévoile un aspect de l’apprentissage relationnel humaniste dans les organisations de femmes, sur lequel très peu de théories ont été élaborées, et souligne les rapports de force. Les rapports de force sont explorés et apparaissent comme partie intégrante de la manière d’apprendre et de diriger des femmes, ce qui vient remettre en question la perception habituelle de bonté, de bienveillance et de simplicité des femmes. Au moyen de la narration, cette recherche examine les pratiques de résistance apprises par les femmes et propose une vision paradoxale de l’apprentissage relationnel qui participe tant à l’éthique de la bienveillance qu’aux rapports de force. Nous pouvons y constater les répercussions sur la formation des femmes.Downloads
Published
2006-11-11
How to Cite
English, L. M. (2006). Narrative Research and Feminist Knowing: A poststructural reading of women’s learning in community organizations. McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill, 40(1). Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/554
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