Making Meaning of Meaning-Making A Case Study of Feminist Research Methodology in Sri Lanka Maithree Wickramasinghe Institute of Education Thesis submitted for PhD examination to the University of London 9th April 2007 Maithree Wickramasinghe- Making Meaning of Meaning-Making ABSTRACT While women-related (WR) research has proliferated in Sri Lanka since 1975, research focusing on such literature and on research methodology is limited. My research concentrates on the theoretical frameworks, ontological and epistemological standpoints, methods, politics and ethics that constitute WR research methodology in Sri Lanka. In effect, it considers the ways in which researchers extract I construct meanings to fulfil feminist objectives in research. Consequently, the work covers the epistemological gap in methodology within local Women's Studies; and enriches international research by highlighting the Sri Lankan situation through being generalisable to wider theoretical objectives. Women-relatedness of research is posited as a paradigmatic shift in knowledge-making within which research activism takes place. The umbrella concept and materiality of WR research methodology is case studied through constituent case studies of method, ontology, epistemology, theory, and politics I ethics. This involves conceptualising I engaging with the particularities of Sri Lankan ontological politics; an epistemology of gender that originates from a sense of being I doing; the method of literature reviewing as an epistemic project; theory on methodology as epistemology and feminisms as a form of ethical politics. Maithree Wickramasinghe- Making Meaning of Meaning-Making 2 Sri Lankan women's studies and discourse compose a somewhat abstract ontology for my research purpose, while WR research methodology is captured I constructed in research through the examination of research texts and interviews. My own methodology is founded on the principle of knowledge as a process of both discovery and construction. Analysis of research is from multiple theoretical locations and methodological intersects of positivism and postrnodernism; as well as feminist standpoints, postcolonialism, and reflexivity. The ultimate aim of the study is not only conceptual unity, but also, conceptual contestation. Maithree Wickramasinghe ·Making Meaning of Meaning-Making 3 CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES I DIAGRAMS 8 ABBREVIATIONS 9 DECLARATION 10 DEDICATION 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 12 INTRODUCTIONS 19 An Introduction to the Genesis of the Research Topic 19 An Introduction to the Thesis Structure and Chapters 25 An Introduction to the Definitions and Parameters of Making Meaning 32 PART I- How Meaning was Made by Me CHAPTER ONE My Research Methodology I The Frameworks of Making Meaning 38 Research Questions 38 A Case Study of Feminist Research Methodology 40 Case Studies within a Case Study 43 Positioning Myself in Making Meaning 46 Discipline and Work Roles 46 Family 47 Ethnicity 49 Class 50 Politics 51 Language 52 Ontological and Epistemological Bearings 53 Modernism and Postmodernisms 56 Theoretical and Methodological Aspects 62 Induction 64 Deduction 65 Reflexivity 68 Political and Ethical Concerns 69 CHAPTER TWO My Research Methodology 11 The Processes of Making Meaning 74 Methods of Data Generation I Composition 7 4 Overall Sampling Frames 76 Making Meaning of I from Texts 84 Literature Surveys 84 1) Literature Review of Local Feminist Research Methodology 87 Maithree Wickramasinghe- Making Meaning of Meaning-Making 4 2) Literature Overview ofWR Research and Writing 89 3) Reading on Western Feminist Research Methodology 90 Selected Research Texts 92 Making Meaning of I from Talk 95 The Interviewing Process 96 Practical Insights 99 Assumptions 99 Interview Dynamics 101 Outcomes of Interviews 105 Processes of Data Analysis I Theorisation I Writing Up 107 Data Analysis 108 Theorisation 112 Validity 115 PART I I- Methodological Matters CHAPTER THREE Women's Research Activism in Sri Lanka 118 An Archaeology of Women's Studies? 119 A Glance at Women-related Issues before 1975 121 The Emergence ofWR Writing and Research 126 The Liberal Agenda 127 Marxist Feminism 131 WR Research 133 Theoretical Issues of Research 134 Research and the Women's Movements of Sri Lanka 140 Research Activism 143 Profiling Researchers 148 Ground Politics 151 CHAPTER FOUR Women- A New Paradigm in Knowledge Production 157 Women as a Paradigm in Knowledge Production 159 The Political Categories of Women 165 Women 165 Woman 168 The Absence and Presence of Women 172 The Absence of Women 172 The Presence of the Woman as the Mother 17 5 The Passivism and Dynamism of Women 180 Further Methodological Arguments 184 Blend of Approaches 184 Essentialism 186 Compartmentalisation and Marginalisation 187 Maithree Wickramasinghe- Making Meaning of Meaning-Making 5 PART Ill -A Case Study of Feminist Research Methodology CHAPTER FIVE Method Meaning-making - The Epistemic Project of the Literature Review 194 The Method of Literature Reviewing 197 Classifications I Notions of Sri Lankan WR Research 201 Trajectories and Issues 202 Feminist Politics of Researching 204 Methodological Interests 206 Feminist Empiricism in Sri Lanka 210 Fusion Methodology 214 Action Research 216 The Importance of History 220 The Cultural Factor 223 CHAPTER SIX Ontology Making Meaning of the Multiple Realities of Researching 227 Ontology and Epistemology 228 The Attacks and Responses 231 Ontological Politics 234 Feminist Intemationalisms 239 Structural Reformative Intents 244 Feminist Localisms 251 Feminist Personal Political Interests 258 CHAPTER SEVEN Epistemology Gender- A Way of Meaning-making that is an Aspect of Being I Doing 268 Gender as a Way of Making Meaning (Epistemology) 271 Justification for Gender Epistemology 273 Gender as an Aspect of Being I Doing (Ontology) 276 Epistemology of Gender 281 Gender Theoretical Concepts I Frameworks 281 Gender Analysis 288 Gender Political Aspirations 293 Gender Methodologies 297 Gender Ontology as Epistemology is Gender Epistemology as Ontology 299 Maithree Wickramasinghe- Making Meaning of Meaning-Making 6 CHAPTER EIGHT Theory Making and Unmaking Theoretical Meanings 302 Local Methodological Debates on Theory 305 The Pros and Cons of Theorisation 307 Local Research Frameworks 310 Situatedness, Standpoints and Intersects of Knowledge 314 'A Women's Perspective' 316 'As a Social Scientist. .. ' 318 'As a Mother...' 320 'Intersecting Class ... ' 323 'Counter-nationalism' 326 'As a South-Asian or Asian ... ' 328 'Ideological Self-definitions ... ' 331 Making and Unmaking Theory on Methodology 338 CHAPTER NINE Ethics I Politics Feminisms- The Political and Ethical Dimensions of Meaning-making 337 Feminisms as Ethics and Politics 338 Women's Lesser Morality versus Higher Social Expectations 343 The Ethical Problematic of a Politics of Good 345 Ethics of Altruism 348 Ethics of Democracy 352 Ethics of Marxism 354 Feminist Ethics as Political Strategy and Action 357 Strategic Pragmatism 360 Feminist Politics I Ethics as Methods 364 Responsibilities and Accountability 364 Sensitivity to Respondents 367 Epistemic Community 371 CONCLUSIONS Making Meaning of Meaning-Making 375 BIBLIOGRAPHY 395 APPENDICES APPENDIX I- Sample Email 451 APPENDIX 11- Sample Mail 452 APPENDIX Ill - Interview Schedule Researchers 453 Maithree Wickramasinghe- Making Meaning of Meaning-Making 7 LIST OF TABLES & DIAGRAMS Table I- Introducing Researchers 79- 81 Table II - Ontological Politics 265 Table III- Framework for Making-meaning 381-383 Diagram I- Feminist Research Methodology 193 Diagram II - Feminist Ontological Politics 236 Diagram Ill - Ontology I Epistemology 267 Diagram IV- Gender Ontology I Epistemology 275 Diagram V- Levels of Feminist Politics I Ethics 342 Diagram VI - Feminist Politics I Ethics 348 Maithree Wickramasinghe- Making Meaning of Meaning-Making 8 ABREVIATIONS ANCL- Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. CBO - Community-based Organisation CENWOR- Centre for Women's Research FTZs - Free Trade Zones GM - Gender Mainstrearning INGO- International Non-Governmental Organisation IoE- Institute of Education JVP - J anatha Vimukthi Peramuna LSSP - Lanka Sama Samaja Pakshaya LTTE- Liberation Tigers ofTamil Eelam NGO- Non-Governmental Organisation SAP- Structural Adjustment Programme SLFP - Sri Lanka Freedom Party SSA - Social Scientists' Association SLWNGOF- Sri Lanka Women's Non-Governmental Organisations Forum UNCEDAW- United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women UNP- United National Party WERC- Women's Education and Research Centre WMC- Women and Media Collective WR- Women-related Maithree Wickramasinghe - Making Meaning of Meaning-Making 9 DECLARATION I declare that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Word count exclusive of bibliography I footnotes I appendices 78, 689 Total word count 91, 229 Maithree Wickramasinghe 9th April 2007 Maithree Wickramasinghe ·Making Meaning of Meaning-Making 10 DEDICATION For Ranil who, despite his wisecracks, has unswervingly sustained me. For Thatha, who is no longer there to see. For Amma, who has from childhood motivated me to achieve. For England-Amma, Papa, Maya and Rashmee, who laid the foundations. For Y Punchi-Amma for providing the support services. Maithree Wickramasinghe ·Making Meaning of Meaning-Making 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS When I tell people that my thesis is on feminist research methodology, I receive a range of responses. They span from a slight blankness at the idea of working on feminism to a horror of the boredom of working on