Amanda Bieler

COMM 341- Supplemental Reading Assignment

Standpoint Theory: A Feminist Approach
As an interpretive theory rooted in the Critical tradition, standpoint theory is simply
explained as the place from which individuals view the world around them. A standpoint is
established by multiplicities, such as historical context, gender, race, class, and sexual
orientation; therefore, it is complex and intersectional. Sandra Harding, a standpoint theorist,
suggests that cultures are hierarchically ordered so that different groups within them offer
dissimilar power, opportunities, and experiences to members (450). Since every individual
perceives the world from a different standpoint, everyone achieves a partial view of reality from
the perspective of his or her own position in the social hierarchy. Therefore, socially situated
knowledge is obtained according to the knowers social position, specifically, the power
relationships in an individuals life; knowledge is acquired according to context, experience,
relative power, and time, thus it is situated socially (Griffin, 452). Consequently, people situated
at the top of the societal hierarchy are privileged to define what it means to be male, female, or
anything else in a given culture. What is established by the privileged and dominant group, those
who reside in the upper realm of the societal hierarchy, such as important problems, concepts,
and hypotheses in a field, leave social fingerprints on the picture of the world (Griffin, 451).
Harding establishes two main reasons regarding the greater value of the subordinated
groups perspective in comparison to the perspective of the privileged. She proposes that there is
greater motivation for the people of lesser status to understand the perspective of more powerful
groups. Furthermore, her second reason is that they have little reason to defend their status quo

(453). Knowledge generated from the standpoint of the marginalized groups facilitates better
research studies, a notion that Harding identifies as strong objectivity.
Similar to standpoint theory as defined by Harding, Telling the story her own way: The
role of feminist standpoint theory in rhetorical studies addresses standpoints from the perspective
of feminists. The authors suggest that the disparities across genders deem women as underadvantaged while men are over-advantaged in society. The perspectives or epistemology of the
subordinated and oppressed group, women, is more valid than the knowledge of those in the
dominant group. Specifically, women as the marginalized group must understand the perspective
of those in power in order to survive; they have better insight into the social order because they
have no desire in maintaining or justifying the status quo (Bacon & McClish, 32). Given the
significance of the marginalized viewpoints, the authors suggest that standpoint theorists
underemphasize the role of language in shaping ones identity and encounters with the world,
and thus, ones standpoint. Essentially, a woman is the rhetor, who creates an ethos that
mediates the expression of ones experiences and is inseparable from ones standpoint (32).
Bacon and McClish say that the woman achieves a standpoint not by finding the right, ideal
perspective but by opposing the political limitations in perspectives (33).
An example of the womans role as a rhetor is articulated in Harriet Jacobs Incidents in
the Life of a Slave Girl. The account of Linda Brent, the protagonist and perspective from which
the account is written, attempts to persuade white audiences of the sinfulness and sexual brutality
of slavery to the marginalized group- poor, black slave women. Jacobs account is grounded in
her experiences as a slave girl and marginalized woman in society, thus, her account exposes the
ideology of her slavemaster, an individual who perpetuates his dominance in society, and how it
functions to solidify his power. Her account is more credible because she asserts her own

identity, her position as a slave girl under male dominance, which ultimately deepens her
knowledge regarding how she experiences the world and her life. Bacon and McClish suggest
that femininity excludes female slaves and perpetuates the power of white men (44). The
authors also believe that while both the marginalized group and the dominating group occupy
perspectives according to their standpoints, those who are dominated are more successful in
achieving a standpoint; the standpoint approach helps to generate an effective critique of
practices that are unjust (Griffin, 454).
Standpoint feminist theorists would argue that when Linda recognizes her social position
with respect to socio-political power and oppression, she finds her voice. Linda eventually
challenges her identity as an oppressed, sexually-abused slave-the conventional stereotype that
forms hegemonic ways of thinking from the socially and politically dominant point of view. She
challenges her identity as an independent, un-controlled individual by developing the knowledge,
skills, and determination necessary to undermine the power of her oppressor, Dr. Flint. She
intentionally rebels against his will and verbally speaks out against him; she claims that she will
never submit to his advances. Lindas standpoint is determined by the articulation of her
experience through language in addition to her historical background and other
intersectionalities. This artifact parallels the article because Linda is the rhetor who crafts a
powerful voice despite her subordinate status. In Bacon and McClishs words, Jacobs creates a
new standard by which to judge a woman based on will, defiance, and verbal power (53). Her
situated knowledge helps her to determine Dr. Flints social power and ultimately, undermine it.

Works Cited
Griffin, Emory A. "Chapter 35, Standpoint Theory." A First Look at Communication Theory.
Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006. N. pag. Print.

McClish, G., & Bacon, J. (2002). Telling the story her own way: The role of feminist
standpoint theory in rhetorical studies. RSQ: Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 32(2), 2755.