Sarah Martinez
Uma Narayan’s gives a nonwestern perspective on feminist epistemology and examining
western perspectives on the topic in hopes of fighting some sort of significance for nonwestern
cultures and feminists in her essay titled, “The Project of Feminist Epistemology: Perspectives
From a Nonwestern Feminist.” There is a brief constructing of history of feminist epistemology
as she mentions the role in played in certain domains like the lack of women in the science and
knowledge domain and that feminist epistemology offers numerous things such as criticizing
mainstream theories as well as giving opportunities to oppressed groups to “reclaim the value of
their own experience (371).” However, she notes that it is important to emphasize that it is not
homogenous and indicates that by offering a different nonwestern perspective on such topics.
One of her first points is that feminist epistemology is problematic at times for
nonwestern feminists than for those of western culture. Nonwestern feminists face a struggle in
that although they are systematically oppressed, the system also places women in high value. In
some countries, being a mother and a wife is highly praised. She also touches on the fact that
although positivism is reasonably a target by feminist, it should not be the only target that they
focus on and that other frameworks should be looked at as well. A few more important aspects
she points out are that although western feminist may not realize it, they do participate in the
dominance of nonwestern culture (376) and do not and will never understand forms oppression
that they face which gives non western feminists an “epistemic advantage.” Also, the idea of a
dominated group having a contextual advantage because they understand their own oppression
and being dominated by the dominant group is presented though Narayan emphasizes advantages
to that concept. In conclusion, she ends with the statement that oppression should not be
romanticized or idealized.
I was particularly interested in reading Narayan’s essay because after reading numerous
pieces from nonwestern perspectives in the course, it sparked a new interest in me on that
perspective. I thought that the author made some really nice points and overall, I found myself
agreeing with her on a lot of them. The way that she painted differences between Nonwestern
and Western feminism was clearly defined and using her own culture as an example aided in
supporting her argument. One thing I specifically liked was the fact that she mentioned that in
nonwestern cultures, there is a struggle in that that these feminists have to work and work against
the traditional system in which oppresses them but also gives value to them (372). A lot of
western feminists tend to diminish the role of a housewife or mother in that these women are
succumbing to patriarchy but they are not considering in other cultures that being a wife or a
mother comes with high value and status. This only illustrates that western feminism needs to
make a valiant effort in understanding other’s oppression especially in third world feminism. Not
to mention, the fact that Western feminists tend to ‘over-power’ diminishes the voices of
nonwestern feminists. Like Obioma Nnaemeka illustrated, the west holds a sort of “feminist
arrogance” in that other types of oppression that women in other cultures face seems irrelevant to
western feminists (318).
Another aspect that jumped out at me is the concept of “epistemic privilege” in which the
oppressed group have certain experiences that other groups may not. I thought it was really
interesting the way she offered the concept in the justification of keeping such experiences that
nonwestern groups face to themselves (376). I am kind of torn with this concept in that I do not
understand why a group would not want to share experiences to other groups that could help
them in terms of fighting against oppression. I thought it was ridiculous but as I read on and she
gave her reason, I actually took a step back and realized that it could be justified. Nnaemeka
illustrated in her essay “western feminists take over without taking on the color of their
environment” (320) which coincides with Narayan’s argument for nonwestern feminists in the
reasoning of keeping knowledge and experiences to themselves. Western feminists cannot take
over if they cannot understand and they possibly cannot understand experiences of oppressed
groups that they have not experienced. Again, I am still a bit on the fence as I am reminded of
the phrase “knowledge is power” but the fact that nonwestern feminists have their experiences
for themselves could help them finally rise up next to western feminism.
Overall, I think Narayan did a great job in illustrating the point that she was trying to get
across. Oppression is something that only people who experience can understand even if
knowledge is passed on through literature, word of mouth, or art. Those experiences are always
unique to that person or to that group. However, even though there is seemingly a picture painted
of “western feminists vs. nonwestern feminists,” it is important to note that as much differences
as they do draw from one another, they do have something in common: they share the same
experiences of being oppressed as women. Although it is important to fight against all
oppression, hopefully finding that common ground could help them unite in fighting all sorts of
oppression together.
Works Cited
Narayan, Uma “The Project of Feminist Epistemology: Perspectives from a Nonwestern
Feminist.” Feminist Theory Reader: Local and Global Perspectives. Ed. Carole R.
McCann & Seung-kyung Kim. New York: Routledge, 2013. 370-378. Print.
Nnaemeka, Obioma. “Forward: Locating Feminisms/Feminists” Feminist Theory Reader: Local
and Global Perspectives. Ed. Carole R. McCann & Seung-kyung Kim. New York:
Routledge, 2013. 317-320. Print.