Running head: STANDPOINT THEORY

Standpoint Theory of Sandra Harding & Julia T. Wood

A Literature Review

Claire Lechtenberg

Queens University of Charlotte

2015
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Abstract

Communication studies constantly look to unlocking the answers to how to

interpret and understand certain or all aspects of society. Through various types of

communication, individuals are able to share ideas, relationship, and movements, in order

to reveal secrets, create organization, or better the world. The standpoint theory was

developed to further communicative studies by creating an unbiased point of view to start

with. This theory can be applied to gender, age, race, and other societal issues. Harding

and Wood’s standpoint theory is from a feminist perspective.

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Introduction to and Background of Standpoint Theory

Everything an individual knows about the surrounding world is cumulated

through a certain vantage point. These viewpoints, perspectives, outlooks, positions or

standpoints are all based on “a specific location in time and space where observation

takes place, while also referring to values or attitudes” (Griffin et al., 2015, p. 444). This

is what the standpoint theory claims, that the standpoint an individual in society affects

his/her worldview. In chapter -35 of Em Griffin, Andrew Ledbetter, and Glenn Sparks’ A

First Look at Communication Theory, the standpoint theory of Sandra Harding and Julia

T. Wood is discussed. The theory states that on top of realizing the fact that the

standpoint of someone affects one’s worldview or societal outlook, that communication

researchers should focus on studies that affect women because women are primarily

marginalized (Griffin et al., 2015, 445).

Harding is a philosopher of science and has joint appointments in women’s

studies, education, and philosophy at University of California, Los Angeles (Griffin et al.,

2015, p. 444). She is considered one the most advanced and knowledgeable individuals in

standpoint theory among feminist scholars (Griffin et al., 2014, p. 445). It is necessary to

understand why this type of theory is so important to the world of communication. By

examining things through various standpoints of inequalities of gender, race, class and

sexual orientation one is able to “observe how different locations within the social

hierarchy tend to generate distinctive accounts of nature and social relationships” (Griffin

et al., 2015, p. 444). Harding believes that “when people speak from the opposite sides of

power relations, the perspective from the lives of the less powerful can provide a more

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objective view that the perspective from the lives of the more powerful” (Griffin et al.,

2015, p. 444).

Julia T. Wood, a professor of communication at University of North Carolina at

Chapel Hill, has consistently applied standpoint logic within the communication field

(Griffin et al., 2015, p. 445). She teaches with the belief that some standpoints are more

partial than others, this means that it is important to research topics that are responsive to

women’s concerns (Griffin et al., 2015, p. 445).

The standpoint theory is an interpretive communication theory and falls within the

critical tradition which means that it can be applied to the “control of language to

perpetuate power imbalances…the role of mass media in dulling sensitivity to

repression…[or the] blind reliance on the scientific method and uncritical acceptance of

empirical findings” (Griffin et al., 2015, p. 44). The standpoint theory itself focuses on

power and knowledge, stating that women that are marginalized have less power but

more knowledge.

This theory is derived from Georg Hegel’s analysis of the master-slave

relationship in 1807 (Griffin et al., 2015, p. 445). He did this to prove that what people

know about themselves, society and others is dependent on what group they are in

(Griffin et a., 2015, p. 445). So the slaves that were in captivity had a very different view

of the world when compared to the people that owned them. This seems to go with the

idea that history is told from the perspective of the champion. This theory developed into

a large component of Marx and Engel’s Marxian epistemology, the proletarian

standpoint, this was one of the main ideas that the standpoint theory was based on,

instead of a struggle between the classes it was between the sexes (Griffin et al., 2015, pg.

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445-446). Wood also uses Mead’s principle of symbolic interactionism that “culture gets

into individuals through communication” (Griffin et al., 2015, p. 446) to argue that

gender is actually societal and not biological. Finally, postmodernism slips through the

standpoint theory because it emphasizes knowledge as locally situated, pushing the idea

to a point in which there is no bias for any one perspective (Griffin et al., 2015, p. 446).

This theory belongs to the intercultural communication and the gender and

communication aspect of the study of communications. This theory allows individuals to

analyze and assess society from various perspectives, and by choosing the unbiased and

marginalized perspectives; a clearer illustration of the functions of society will be drawn

upon.

The Theory Applied

This theory has been put into action in many studies and observations of societal

interaction and relations for many years. In America there have been various and diverse

studies using the standpoint theory in order to understand the various interpretations of

the surrounding culture.

The standpoint theory can be most easily applied to the feminist movements

throughout the world. Take the feminist group in Austin, Texas in 1975 for example. In

their published letter named Goodbye to All That the women challenged the patriarchy

and wanting to leave the type of society that did not understand their perspective of the

society they were in (Araiza, 2014). To go even further, communication experts have

taken up this theory to analyze the different aspects in gender, age, and/or race.

In 2007, Droogsma took the standpoint theory and applied it to the Muslim

practice of wearing a hijab. The hijab or veil is the main focus of the study because it is

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the focus of two different opinions. “For many Americans, the veiled woman symbolizes

the oppression of women in Muslim cultures and provides proof that these cultures need

to be ‘‘saved’’” (Droogsma, 2007, p. 294) while Muslim women “view hijab as

emancipating” (Droogsma, 2007, p. 296). In order to understand the type of perspective

veiled Muslim women experienced in America, especially after September 11, 2001

thirteen women ages 12 to 35 were interviewed (Droogsma, 2007, pg. 299 – 301). The

findings of the interviews concluded a concrete definition of hijab and the importance

and reactions of it. “Hijab functions first and foremost as a visible marker of one’s

identity as a Muslim….[it creates a] Muslim Woman image [that] may constitute their

primary identity to others” (Droogsma, 2007, p. 301). This veil is used as major

connection between the women in Islam, it helps them create a sense of community and

recognition between each other, especially for converters (Droogsma, 2007, p. 302).

Hijab is actually a very positive source for the women, their interviews said that wearing

the veil allowed them to identify as a Muslim along with have a constant reminder of

God, having a behavioral check, preserving things for intimate relationships, it affords

more respect and also allows for more freedom (Droogsma, 2007, pg. 301 – 310). This

beneficial stance on hijab is different from the way outside Americans think of it. “Far

from feeling oppressed, the women in this study identify the headscarf as serving

multiple useful and even empowering functions in their lives” (Droogsma, 2007, p. 311).

The results of these interviews show the importance of utilizing women’s lived

experiences as primary resources for research – which is exactly what the theory

demands. This theory has also offered an outlet for these women to communicate, who

otherwise would have probably been oppressed (Droogsma, 2007, p. 311). Another study

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that uses this theory to determine a clear understanding of society involves women and

differing ethnicities.

In 2007, Pompper conducted an exploratory investigation to illuminate

experiences of a neglected group of women in the workplace (p. 297). Focus groups met

in Houston, TX, New York, NY, Miami, FL, and Los Angeles, CA because of the

diversity and large Hispanic populations (Pompper, 2007, p. 297). The focus groups were

composed of 25 women in each, ranging from 23-59 years old with public relations

experience (Pompper, 2007, p. 298). By using the standpoint theory the research was able

to find that Latinas experienced sexism by Latinos (Pompper, 2007, p. 298) and

discrimination from Anglos (Pompper, 2007, p. 299), along with stress within their own

culture (Pompper, 2007, p. 300). By using the feminist standpoint theory, the researchers

were able to see different vantage point of organizational and corporate American,

allowing there to be a different view. The standpoint theory is one that can be used in

order to make discrimination known in order to create more equality.

The standpoint theory was also used in a university study to see how students

reacted to race issues. Kinefuchi and Orbe recorded 136 students’ reactions to the movie

Crash over the course of 18 months (2008, p. 74). The students were enrolled in a

communications course and were spread over three different universities in the Midwest

(Kinefuchi and Orbe, 2008, p. 74). The students were required to write reaction papers

and from that, their reactions were studied under the standpoint theory. The only

difference with this use of the theory when compared to Harding and Wood’s definition

of it, it is racially oriented and gender oriented.

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A study that also uses standpoint, beyond the sense of it just being for feminists,

Ballard-Reisch uses this to argue “that it is critical to listen to those whose voices have

been rarely heard, older women…in rural…contexts…to understand their perspectives in

order to appropriately address the complexities of rural…health” (2010, p. 89). So in this

case the standpoint theory was used to show issues within the American healthcare

system and how it should be improve for the betterment of all, not a few.

Conclusion

The standpoint theory is one that aims to better society by displaying the

perspectives of women and others marginalized in communication studies. The question

that results is, how can one determined what makes someone more marginalized, and

won’t the very definition of marginalization change over time? The point of this theory

ultimately is to see a perspective one typically wouldn’t, and to change the negative

circumstances that have impacted that view point for the better.

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References

Araiza, J. A. (2014). Saying goodbye to men: Southern feminists publishing news while

challenging patriarchy. Journal Of Communication Inquiry, 38(4), 273-290.

doi:10.1177/0196859914551024

Ballard-Reisch, D. (2010). Muted groups in health communication policy and practice:

The case of older adults in rural and frontier areas. Women & Language, 33(2),

87-93.

Droogsma, R. A. (2007). Redefining hijab: American muslim women’s standpoints on

veiling. Journal of Applied Communication Research,35(3), 294-319.

doi:10.1080/00909880701434299

Griffin, E., Ledbetter, A., & Sparks, G. (2015). Standpoint theory of sandra harding &

julia t. wood. In A first Look at Communication Theory (9th ed.). New York, New

York: McGraw-Hill.

Kinefuchi, E., & Orbe, M. P. (2008). Situating oneself in a Rarcialized world:

Understanding student reactions to crash through standpoint theory and context-

positionality frames. Journal Of International & Intercultural

Communication, 1(1), 70-90. doi:10.1080/17513050701742909

Pompper, D. (2007). The gender-ethnicity construct in public relations organizations:

Using feminist standpoint theory to discover latinas’ realities. Howard Journal of

Communications, 18(4), 291-311. doi:10.1080/10646170701653669