In Verteidigung der epistemischen Asymmetrie
Sarah Speck
Cite this publication as
Sarah Speck, In Verteidigung der epistemischen Asymmetrie (2020), Campus Frankfurt / New York, 60486 Frankfurt/Main, ISSN: 1860-2177, 2020 #2, S.97
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Descripción / Abstract
Der Beitrag diskutiert die Bedeutung der Akteursperspektive im Kontext empirischer Sozialforschung aus dem Blickwinkel der Geschlechterforschung und beleuchtet dabei einerseits die Frage der Parteilichkeit und andererseits die Struktur des Verhältnisses zwischen Forscherin und Akteurin. Mit beiden hängt auch die Wahl des methodischen Zugangs zusammen. Ich vertrete die Position, dass eine kritische Sozialforschung in ihrem Forschungsprozess von einer Parteilichkeit und damit auch von den Deutungen der Akteure im Feld Abstand nehmen muss. Die Stärke rekonstruktiver Sozialforschung, die in methodisch kontrollierten Verfahren auch implizite, inkorporierte oder latente Bedeutungsgehalte freizulegen vermag, gründet auf einer Distanznahme. Zugleich argumentiere ich, dass Symmetrisierungsbestrebungen im Forschungsgeschehen, die in sich als kritisch verstehender empirischer Sozialforschung immer wieder, so auch in vielen partizipativ angelegten Vorhaben, anzutreffen sind, mit großer Vorsicht zu begegnen ist. Im Sinne des emanzipatorischen Projekts herrschaftskritischer Wissenschaften braucht es die Verteidigung eines Moments der epistemischen Asymmetrie im Forschungsprozess.
This article discusses the significance of the actor†™s perspective in the context of empirical social research from the point of view of gender studies. It sheds light on the question of partiality, on the one hand, and the structure of the relationship and interaction between the researcher and the actor, on the other. The choice of methodological approach is related to both issues. I argue that critical social research must refrain from bias in its research process and thus also from the interpretations of the actors in the field. The strength of reconstructive social research, which is able to uncover implicit, incorporated or latent meanings in methodologically controlled procedures, rests on an approach of distantiation. At the same time, I argue that efforts to achieve symmetry in the research process, which are often pursued by “critical scholars† and are among the reasons for the popularity of participatory approaches, should be treated with great caution. An emancipatory project of critical social research in the tradition of Critical Theory must defend a moment of epistemic asymmetry in the research process.
This article discusses the significance of the actor†™s perspective in the context of empirical social research from the point of view of gender studies. It sheds light on the question of partiality, on the one hand, and the structure of the relationship and interaction between the researcher and the actor, on the other. The choice of methodological approach is related to both issues. I argue that critical social research must refrain from bias in its research process and thus also from the interpretations of the actors in the field. The strength of reconstructive social research, which is able to uncover implicit, incorporated or latent meanings in methodologically controlled procedures, rests on an approach of distantiation. At the same time, I argue that efforts to achieve symmetry in the research process, which are often pursued by “critical scholars† and are among the reasons for the popularity of participatory approaches, should be treated with great caution. An emancipatory project of critical social research in the tradition of Critical Theory must defend a moment of epistemic asymmetry in the research process.