Feminist Epistemology Are Consistent Within the Values

¶ … Feminist Epistemology Are Consistent Within the Values of My Professional Discipline

Education as a profession is intensely self-reflective. There is a constant need to ask 'what is the purpose of learning' and 'what makes an individual educated in our society.' Currently, the nation is wrestling with this question in the era of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Schools are being judged as 'successes' and failures based upon predetermined standards. But this is not a new debate. Ever since Plato people have debated what individuals are teachable and the role of the state in educating young people. Critical theory helps to contextualize the debate about the nature of human intelligence and what constitutes an acceptable canon of knowledge. For example, during the 19th century for upper-class boys, knowing Greek and Latin rather than technical disciplines was prized. Today, the sciences are given priority in judging educational excellence, such as the sciences along with a familiarity with certain kinds of literature and 'ways of knowing.'

While it would be virtually impossible to measure children's education on a large-scale level without having some empirical standards, it is still important to keep in mind the fact that merely because a child does not excel in certain core concepts does not mean that he or she lacks intelligence. Visual learners, kinesthetic learners, and others might not be equally valued by the school system as more verbally or mathematically-oriented students. Acknowledging the socially-constructed nature of the prioritization of certain types of knowledge is a more compassionate and useful way of looking at learning, given that it does not stigmatize or devalue students who may fit less well into a particular 'system.' Even today, throughout the world, different societies prioritize different social qualities within their learning environments. Some may value creativity, others obedience, still others rote mastery.

Critical theory's emphasis on the situated nature of knowledge is also useful when teaching students who are ESL or who have learning challenges. Rather than viewing the ESL student as someone who must conform his or her language and perspective to Anglo culture, the value of possessing bilingual ability is acknowledged, and supported even while the student receives instruction in English. In terms of gender relations, feminist epistemology that stresses the social construction of gender can offer a more meaningful way to look at qualities such as aggression, which may result in boys being given more attention during class discussion and also in terms of the way males 'act out' in class. Feminism can remind teachers of the fact that the sexes may require different support systems to express themselves and sustain interest in a subject -- young boys may require a more hands-on approach to concepts, teenage girls may need support to circumvent peer pressure to speak out because of the ways students internalize gender stereotypes.