Dána-Ain Davis and Christa Craven, "Feminist Ethnography: Thinking Through Methodologies, Challenges, and Possibilities" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022)
Apr 14, 2025
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In this engaging discussion, Professors Christa Craven and Dána-Ain Davis dive deep into feminist ethnography, exploring how methodologies shape social knowledge. They emphasize diverse perspectives and collaboration, sharing a unique partnership formed amidst traditional academic settings. Highlights include insights from their experiences at the Brooklyn Museum, where art sparks creativity, and the significance of community engagement in research. The conversation also advocates for inclusive practices and the preservation of marginalized voices within academia.
Feminist ethnography emphasizes the significance of researchers being aware of their identities and experiences, impacting the knowledge produced in research.
The interdisciplinary nature of feminist ethnography encourages collaboration across various fields, making research accessible to both scholars and community activists.
Deep dives
Overview of Feminist Ethnography
Feminist ethnography is a methodology that combines the principles of ethnography with feminist perspectives, emphasizing the importance of studying culture and society through the lens of gender and intersectionality. The book explores how the methodologies employed in ethnographic research can shape the outcomes of the knowledge produced, stressing the need for researchers to be conscious of their own experiences and identities in the research process. The authors argue that feminist ethnography enables a deeper understanding of social issues by focusing on marginalized voices and experiences that traditional ethnography may overlook. This approach is particularly relevant in current times, where there are ongoing challenges to diversity and inclusion within academic spaces.
Challenges and Possibilities in Feminist Research
The authors highlight the potential challenges that researchers face while conducting feminist ethnography, including issues related to power dynamics, representation, and ethical considerations. They emphasize the necessity of questioning how power is distributed in research settings and the implications of these distributions on the research outcomes. By addressing the complexities of conducting feminist ethnography, the authors encourage readers to think critically about their own positionality and the impact their identities have on their research. The book serves as a guide for navigating these challenges and promotes a reflective approach to feminist research methodologies.
Interdisciplinary Approaches to Ethnography
The book asserts that ethnography is not confined to anthropology; rather, it spans multiple disciplines such as sociology, psychology, and political science, encouraging a broader application of ethnographic methods. By integrating diverse viewpoints and methodologies, feminist ethnography fosters collaboration across academic and community contexts, making it accessible to a wider audience, including activists and community researchers. The authors aim to create an inclusive framework that allows scholars from various fields to engage with feminist principles and adapt them to their specific research needs. This interdisciplinary approach enriches the understanding of social phenomena and highlights the relevance of feminist ethnography in contemporary research.
Interactive Learning and Community Engagement
The authors propose innovative educational strategies that include problem-based learning and collaborative projects, encouraging students to engage actively with their research. By incorporating community-based research initiatives, the book emphasizes the importance of applying theoretical knowledge in real-world contexts and fostering connections between scholars and community members. This hands-on approach not only enhances the learning experience but also empowers students to utilize feminist ethnography as a tool for social change. The inclusion of assignments and practical examples throughout the text facilitates critical thinking and promotes the application of feminist methodologies in diverse research environments.
How do we acquire knowledge about societies? Does how we acquire social knowledge shape what we know? How conscious must we be of our own experiences as we do our research? What does feminism add to our methods and modes of research?
Now in its second edition, Feminist Ethnography: Thinking through Methodologies, Challenges, and Possibilities (Rowman and Littlefield, 2022) by Drs. Crista Craven and Dána-Ain Davis answers these questions. The book is at once a how-to manual for doing feminist ethnography and a compendium of contributions from influential feminist ethnographers. Designed for students, scholars, community activists, and anyone interested in social knowledge, the book is multi-vocal and interdisciplinary and promotes critical methodologies as sites for reflection, collaboration, and creativity. It is a particularly important work for this moment in which anti-DEI efforts aim to minimize the work and perspectives of minoritized groups.
Dr. Christa Craven (she/her/hers) is a Professor of Anthropology and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies at the College of Wooster, and co-founder of the Global Queer Studies minor. She has published four books, including Feminist Ethnography. Her 2019 monograph, Reproductive Losses: Challenges to LGBTQ Family-Making was awarded the Council on Anthropology & Reproduction’s Book Prize in 2021, and selected by Women.com as a book that puts “the long, complicated history of reproductive rights into sharp focus.”
Dr. Dána-Ain Davis is Professor of Urban Studies at Queens College, City University of New York and on the faculty of the PhD Programs in Anthropology and Critical Psychology. She is the director of the Center for the Study of Women and Society at the CUNY Graduate Center. Davis is the author, co-author, or co-editor of five books including Feminist Ethnography. NYU Press published Davis’s Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth in 2019 and the book received the Eileen Basker Memorial Prize from the Society for Medical Anthropology and The Senior Book Prize from the Association of Feminist Anthropology. Dr. Davis is also a doula.
