The Feminist Standpoints Challenge to Mainstream Sociology - Essay Example

The standpoint theory has been used to shed more light on the concept of feminism. As a multifaceted concept, standpoint theory has been broadened to entail the area of local knowledge, situated knowledge, and proletariat knowledge which of course play a very significant role in understanding feminism (Weeks, 2011, p.87). This simply implies that the feminist standpoint theorists have three claims: that knowledge is socially constructed on societal strata; knowledge on feminism is based on one’s position in the societal hierarchy, and the marginalized groups are taken to be ideal knowers as compared to their non-marginalized counterparts (Harding 1987).

The feministic standpoint has been considered a very influential theory. It has contributed lots of knowledge that has greatly impacted people’s understanding of concepts such as feminism. It places the relations between social and political while using knowledge as the main focus (Grasswick 2011). Its normative and descriptive nature helps in describing and understanding the major effects of power structures on education. This is mainly because it constantly advocates for a particular route for inquiry, thus helping to know much about the struggles of the marginalized groups who have to endure and liberate themselves from the oppressions they are subjected to by those in the higher hierarchies in society (Teo 2007).

As argued by standpoint theorists like Dorothy Smith and Nancy Hartsock feminists have simply replaced the word ‘proletariat’ with ‘women’ so as to use it as a platform for fighting for the trampled rights of the womenfolk. Just like the proletariat, women are considered people who occupy a lower class in society. Therefore, for them to be liberated, they need to be actively involved in the struggle. However, this should start with having a sound knowledge of their plights and positions (Harding 1987).   So, the extended understanding of the idea of the proletariat can help in opening the minds of feminists to understand the reality of the problem. Through this, they can have proper knowledge of the challenges facing them as women.

 All in all, the principal claim of these theorists is that the feminist standpoint can be of much value in understanding certain socio-political positions in society (Hesse 2007). As a people, women are marginalized and should know about this. Knowledge of society’s diversities like gender, class, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and physical capacity can be vital (Chefetz 2006). The standpoint theory is quite comprehensive because it goes beyond a mere description to provide a more profound normative and objective analysis of the concept for a better understanding of everyone