Studying Gender While ‘Studying Up’: On Ethnography and Epistemological Hegemony

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Standard

Studying Gender While ‘Studying Up’ : On Ethnography and Epistemological Hegemony. / Breslin, Samantha Dawn.

In: Anthropology in Action, Vol. 29, No. 2, 2022, p. 1-10.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Breslin, SD 2022, 'Studying Gender While ‘Studying Up’: On Ethnography and Epistemological Hegemony', Anthropology in Action, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3167/aia.2022.290201

APA

Breslin, S. D. (2022). Studying Gender While ‘Studying Up’: On Ethnography and Epistemological Hegemony. Anthropology in Action, 29(2), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3167/aia.2022.290201

Vancouver

Breslin SD. Studying Gender While ‘Studying Up’: On Ethnography and Epistemological Hegemony. Anthropology in Action. 2022;29(2):1-10. https://doi.org/10.3167/aia.2022.290201

Author

Breslin, Samantha Dawn. / Studying Gender While ‘Studying Up’ : On Ethnography and Epistemological Hegemony. In: Anthropology in Action. 2022 ; Vol. 29, No. 2. pp. 1-10.

Bibtex

@article{e0ddc3d885394962b74fc713ef6abfb3,
title = "Studying Gender While {\textquoteleft}Studying Up{\textquoteright}: On Ethnography and Epistemological Hegemony",
abstract = "This article discusses the epistemological challenges of contending with hegemonic norms while {\textquoteleft}studying up.{\textquoteright} In particular, I discuss the challenges that I faced in following feminist and queer approaches to gender while conducting fieldwork on the gendered norms and values produced through undergraduate computer science education in Singapore. These approaches suggest critical questions about the construction of computer science knowledge and of the common focus on the {\textquoteleft}woman problem{\textquoteright} in computer science. While feminist and queer approaches enabled me to find partial connections with participants, the heteronormativity in/of computer science and problem-solving-based hegemonic epistemology brought challenges in maintaining my methodological and theoretical approach. I highlight the need to greater examine the power dynamics and how these shape the epistemological risks of fieldwork while studying up. ",
keywords = "Faculty of Social Sciences, computer science, ethnographic fieldwork, feminist and queer anthropology, heteronormativity, higher education, problem-based epistemology",
author = "Breslin, {Samantha Dawn}",
year = "2022",
doi = "10.3167/aia.2022.290201",
language = "English",
volume = "29",
pages = "1--10",
journal = "Anthropology in Action",
issn = "0967-201X",
publisher = "Berghahn Books Ltd.",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Studying Gender While ‘Studying Up’

T2 - On Ethnography and Epistemological Hegemony

AU - Breslin, Samantha Dawn

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - This article discusses the epistemological challenges of contending with hegemonic norms while ‘studying up.’ In particular, I discuss the challenges that I faced in following feminist and queer approaches to gender while conducting fieldwork on the gendered norms and values produced through undergraduate computer science education in Singapore. These approaches suggest critical questions about the construction of computer science knowledge and of the common focus on the ‘woman problem’ in computer science. While feminist and queer approaches enabled me to find partial connections with participants, the heteronormativity in/of computer science and problem-solving-based hegemonic epistemology brought challenges in maintaining my methodological and theoretical approach. I highlight the need to greater examine the power dynamics and how these shape the epistemological risks of fieldwork while studying up.

AB - This article discusses the epistemological challenges of contending with hegemonic norms while ‘studying up.’ In particular, I discuss the challenges that I faced in following feminist and queer approaches to gender while conducting fieldwork on the gendered norms and values produced through undergraduate computer science education in Singapore. These approaches suggest critical questions about the construction of computer science knowledge and of the common focus on the ‘woman problem’ in computer science. While feminist and queer approaches enabled me to find partial connections with participants, the heteronormativity in/of computer science and problem-solving-based hegemonic epistemology brought challenges in maintaining my methodological and theoretical approach. I highlight the need to greater examine the power dynamics and how these shape the epistemological risks of fieldwork while studying up.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - computer science

KW - ethnographic fieldwork

KW - feminist and queer anthropology

KW - heteronormativity

KW - higher education

KW - problem-based epistemology

U2 - 10.3167/aia.2022.290201

DO - 10.3167/aia.2022.290201

M3 - Journal article

VL - 29

SP - 1

EP - 10

JO - Anthropology in Action

JF - Anthropology in Action

SN - 0967-201X

IS - 2

ER -

ID: 313668099