Feminisms and Educational Research: (Philosophy, Theory, and Educational Research Series)

Feminist theory has come a long way from its nascent beginnings—no longer can it be classified as “liberal,” “socialist,” or “radical.” It has shaped and evolved to take on multiple meanings and forms, each distinct in its own perspective and theory. In Feminisms and Educational Research, the authors explore the various forms of feminisms, tracing their history and their relation to gendered knowledge and identity. Unlike other books on feminism, the authors do not attempt to push that a particular theory is more correct than another, but rather they give a complete overview of each of the forms of feminism. The authors then couple the philosophical and theoretical ideas of western feminisms with the aims and conduct of educational research, exploring how they interact and influence each other. Focusing on more recent feminists, both in education and related disciplines, the book highlights illustrative examples from research to form a basis of understanding how the different feminisms have changed education.

Table of Contents:
Series Preface Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2:What is Feminism? Chapter 3: Philosophical Concerns and Commitments Chapter 4: Feminist Inquiry Chapter 5: Feminist Educational Research

About the Author :
Wendy R. Kohli is professor of educational studies at Fairfield University. Nicholas C. Burbules is Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Professor of educational policy, organization, and leadership studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Review :
This brief, clear text offers a selective introduction to recent feminist philosophy and theory outside educational studies. In accessible language Kohli and Burbules explain also some methodological innovations wrought by various research specialties within the postmodernist tradition that today dominates critical Anglophone education concerning class, race, sexuality, and gender. This book outlines the collaborations, theories, and practices around gender (and beyond) that shape educational research. As we increasingly turn to interdisciplinary educational research, a book like this can help sort out the implications of these sometimes divergent, sometimes productive collisions among feminisms and other critical and gender theories. Such tools can only re-energize feminist research and theory in education. A clearly written and perceptive discussion of the philosophical underpinnings of feminist educational inquiry. This book will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars undertaking feminist research in education in any area. Smart, sophisticated and definitively comprehensive, Kohli and Burbules’s text moves feminist theory from an often-outsider place in educational research right into the mainstream. Research knowledge is no longer just king but now queen. Particularly significant is the centrality of education feminist theorists and researchers in this critical and current treatment. The book reminds previous generations of the need for feminist theorizing and for this generation of its continuing relevance. This is a must-read today as it will be for several decades to come.