Question 1

Feminist research has advantages in all areas except:&#10;A) generalizability&#10;B) probing&#10;C) causal inference&#10;D) validity

Accepted Answer

Feminist research may face challenges in making causal inferences due to its focus on social and cultural factors that cannot be easily controlled in experimental settings. However, feminist research has strengths in other areas such as probing issues that may not have been previously considered, emphasizing the importance of context, and promoting the validity of diverse perspectives. Generalizability may also be limited in feminist research if it focuses on specific groups or experiences that may not apply to all individuals or contexts.

Question 2

Institutional ethnography is an approach used when the research goal is to:&#10;A) study the social structure of powerful organizations&#10;B) study social reality as it is constructed in the minds of those who experience it.&#10;C) read texts for their organizational structure&#10;D) study, in detail, the experiences of institutionalized persons

Accepted Answer

Institutional ethnography is focused on examining how social reality is constructed by individuals, particularly those who are marginalized or subordinated by institutional power structures. It seeks to understand the lived experiences of individuals and how institutional practices and policies shape those experiences. Option B best reflects this focus on examining social reality as it is constructed by individuals.

Question 3

Participatory action research includes:&#10;A) defined goals, liberation, and group consensus&#10;B) group consensus, change, and the ethics of liberation&#10;C) research, adult education, and socio-political action&#10;D) participation, reactive, and group consensus

Accepted Answer

Participatory action research involves conducting research with the participation of community members, promoting adult education to increase awareness and understanding of the research, and using socio-political action to effect change. This approach emphasizes collaboration and shared decision-making, which makes Choice A and D incomplete. While ethical considerations are important in participatory action research, they are not the primary focus, which makes Choice B incomplete.

Question 4

The goal of feminist research is best defined by:&#10;A) seeing of phenomena from the perspective of women&#10;B) recognizing the existence of conditions that oppress women&#10;C) the desire to change conditions through research leading to political action&#10;D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

The goal of feminist research encompasses all three options listed. Feminist research seeks to view social phenomena from the perspective of women, recognize conditions that oppress women, and use research to lead to political action aimed at changing those conditions.

Question 5

A feminist researcher, in particular, is expected to be:&#10;A) professional&#10;B) interactive&#10;C) reflexive&#10;D) a woman

Accepted Answer

Feminist researchers are expected to be reflexive, meaning they critically reflect on their own biases, assumptions, and the power dynamics in their research.

Question 6

The strength of critical research lies in the area of:&#10;A) generalizability&#10;B) validity&#10;C) bringing about social change and empowering marginalized people&#10;D) unambiguous causal inference

Accepted Answer

The strength of critical research lies in bringing about social change and empowering marginalized people. Critical research involves a deep understanding of power dynamics and aims to challenge and dismantle oppressive structures. Its main goal is to bring about social justice and equity, rather than producing generalizable or causal findings. Therefore, the strength of critical research is not in generalizability or unambiguous causal inference, but rather its ability to advocate for and empower marginalized communities. Validity is important in all types of research, including critical research, but it is not the main strength.

Question 7

Which method is considered the best by critical researchers?&#10;A) in-depth interviews&#10;B) participant observation&#10;C) qualitative methods&#10;D) multi-method approach

Accepted Answer

Critical researchers often advocate for a multi-method approach that combines different qualitative methods, such as in-depth interviews and participant observation, in order to increase the validity and reliability of their findings. This approach allows for a more holistic understanding of the research topic from different perspectives, and helps to offset potential biases or limitations of relying on a single method alone.

Question 8

An oral history interview is:&#10;A) when the researcher shares transcripts with the participants and invites them to contribute to the analysis and interpretation&#10;B) when the participants tell stories about themselves and the researcher later analyzes them for their meaning&#10;C) an investigation of participants' life histories that is guided to attain specific knowledge for the researcher&#10;D) a participant-guided investigation of a lived-experience in which few prepared questions are asked.

Accepted Answer

An oral history interview is participant-guided, meaning that the participant is the primary source of information and the interviewer generally asks few prepared questions. It is focused on obtaining an account of a specific lived experience from the participant's own perspective. The researcher may later analyze the information gathered, but the interview itself is not intended to guide the participant towards any specific interpretation or conclusion. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Question 9

&#34;Research from the margins&#34; means that:&#10;A) critical research is focused on empowering marginalized citizens.&#10;B) there is an increased number of female researchers over male researchers.&#10;C) research participants are respected as &#34;equally knowing subjects&#34;.&#10;D) participant observation and/or ethnographic research has been implemented.

Accepted Answer

"Research from the margins" refers to research that is conducted with and for marginalized communities in order to empower them. The approach emphasizes the importance of respecting research participants as "equally knowing subjects," as opposed to treating them as passive objects of study. This approach recognizes that individuals within marginalized communities often possess valuable knowledge and insights that have been overlooked or disregarded by mainstream society.

Question 10

Among the challenges in action research is:&#10;A) protecting the interests of the larger society&#10;B) negotiating a reasonable compromise between competing interest groups&#10;C) minimizing power imbalances among participants&#10;D) that everything happens so fast

Accepted Answer

Minimizing power imbalances among participants is a challenge in action research because it involves ensuring that all participants feel comfortable sharing their experiences and viewpoints without feeling disadvantaged or marginalized. This requires careful planning and implementation of research methodologies to create a safe and inclusive environment. The other options are not specific challenges in action research.

Question 11

The aim of all action research is:&#10;A) to produce practical knowledge that has the potential to improve a specific social condition&#10;B) to generalize solutions to problems that apply across a range of settings&#10;C) to massage data so that particular outcomes are achieved&#10;D) to be active in the field so that the knowledge gained is more specific

Accepted Answer

The answer of The aim of all action research is:&#10;A)...

Question 12

The feminist research perspective attempts to:&#10;A) replace patriarchy with matriarchy&#10;B) reject the fundamentals of the critical approach&#10;C) validate women's experiences and perceptions&#10;D) reject the reflexivity of male research

Accepted Answer

The answer of The feminist research perspective attempts to:&#10;A) replace...

Question 13

Feminist researchers claim that an understanding of human societies is impossible without the recognition of:&#10;A) matriarchy&#10;B) patriarchy&#10;C) the means of production&#10;D) inadvertent reinforcement

Accepted Answer

The answer of Feminist researchers claim that an understanding of...

Question 14

Which is not a quality of feminist perspectives:&#10;A) a recognition of the existence of conditions which oppress women&#10;B) a desire for a matriarchal society&#10;C) a valuing of women and their experiences, ideas, and needs&#10;D) a desire to change conditions through criticisms and political action

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which is not a quality of feminist...

Question 15

Texts, according to Dorothy Smith:&#10;A) are organizational features of institutions&#10;B) can reveal the institutional practices that organize people's experiences&#10;C) mediate people's experiences and interactions&#10;D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of Texts, according to Dorothy Smith:&#10;A) are organizational...

Deck 7: Critical Approaches to Research: Action and Feminist Research