Incorporating feminist practices into (psychological) science - the why, the what and the how

Abstract

Feminism is about challenging power in all its forms. Applying a feminist lens to scientific research brings many advantages, such as broadening theoretical perspectives, encouraging collaboration with—and inclusion of—marginalized groups, and widening the scope of research methods. However, findings from an informal survey as part of a SIPS hackathon revealed that both academics and non-academics grapple with a lack of clear conceptual understanding regarding feministapproaches and feminism as a whole. We aim for this perspective piece to provide an access point for why researchers should incorporate feminist approaches in psychological science, whatfeminist approaches look like and how researchers can start incorporating them into their own work. In answering the why, what and how of feminist practices, we aim to make working in a feminist way more legible and accessible, with the ultimate aim of cultivating a more comprehensive understanding of human psychology while fostering diverse perspectives. Based on the survey and our unique viewpoints as feminist ECRs working in different domains of psychological science, we propose constructive approaches for integrating feminist values and practices into the domain of psychological science. We highlight what possible barriers exist to incorporating feminist practices into one‘s own work and how future research can embrace feminist practices. We also provide a short glossary explaining terminology that can support the communication of feminist research as well as a curated checklist of feminist practices to start out with. This perspective warmly invites—and promotes—researchers from all backgrounds to engage in and contribute to the exploration of feminist values and practices within the realm of psychological science.

Publication
PsyArXiv

Related