‘Feminist Analysis of Science and the Implications for Higher Education’

Feminism(s) as practice(s) in the world of the women's movements have frequently either rejected science and scientific approaches or utilised scientific evidence in support of arguments, positions and campaigns. This has happened with some degree of contradiction. Problems of how feminist theory deals with questions about the nature and role of science and scientific techniques and information still remain. The debates that are taking place are complex, and have rarely been utilised or applied in the situation of how higher education might utilise them. This paper attempts to examine current philosophical and feminist ideas about the nature of science, to assess if it is possible to theorise about the possibility of a feminist science. Equally problematic is the application of these ideas to the context of higher education, and providing more women or feminist orientated educational practice. This paper draws links between theory about science, and issues in relation to the higher education curriculum. It argues the case that although this theorising may appear difficult to apply, there are several ways by which it may be used to guide thinking about how education courses may be structured in order to allow students to learn in ways that may not be as limited as previously. These debates are new, ongoing, and yet not fully explored and so this paper provides a position from where this might be explored, and therefore demonstrates some areas for further exploration.