Strong objectivity is a term coined by feminist philosopher
Sandra Harding, known for her work on
feminist standpoint theory. Harding suggests that starting research from the lives of women "actually strengthens standards of objectivity". Strong objectivity can be contrasted with the "weak objectivity" of supposed value-neutral research. Strong objectivity is posited in contrast to scientific objectivity since strong objectivity amplifies researcher bias, something that Harding argues can never really be removed;
a researcher's life experiences will always be a lens through which they view the world and subsequently their research.
From a
feminist standpoint, the question of objectivity stems from what kinds of knowledge projects are objective and which aren't, and why; whether or not
objectivity is necessary; and how, or if, it is possible to achieve objectivity. These considerations arise at least in part from concerns about
sexism
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...
and
androcentric bias in dominant scientific life and studies.
Strong objectivity argues that there is androcentric bias in research because male researchers attempt to be a neutral researcher, where Harding argues that is not possible.
Harding suggests researcher reflexivity, or consideration of the researcher's positionality, and how that affects their research, as a "stronger" objectivity than researchers claiming to be completely neutral. Knowledge and the biases affecting it must be equally judged by the scientific community and located in social history.
[Harding, Sandra. "Rethinking Standpoint Epistemology: What is "Strong Objectivity?" ''Feminist Theory: A Philosophical Anthology.'' Ed. Cudd, Ann E. and Robin O. Andreasen, 2005. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.]
See also
*
Positionality statement
*
Relativism
Relativism is a family of philosophical views which deny claims to absolute objectivity within a particular domain and assert that valuations in that domain are relative to the perspective of an observer or the context in which they are assess ...
*
Standpoint theory
*
View from nowhere
Journalistic objectivity is a principle within the discussion of journalistic professionalism. Journalistic objectivity may refer to fairness, disinterestedness, factuality, and nonpartisanship, but most often encompasses all of these qualitie ...
References
Further reading
*Harding, Sandra (1991) ''Whose Science? Whose Knowledge? Thinking from Women's Lives.'' Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Feminist terminology
Feminist theory
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