Herringís Relation to Feminist Epistemology

How does Herringís research and analysis relate to feminist epistemology? "Feminist epistemology can be seen as part of a more radical stance in philosophy which seeks to challenge the dominant Anglo-American tradition."(Adams, 32) All forms of feminist thought argue for the social, political, and economic equality of women and men; it is recognized by all feminist theories that such equality does not presently exist. Apart from these basic claims feminism varies widely. Unlike liberal feminists, Herring does not believe that technology is neutral, and that equal representation will ensure equality. She feels that the democracy paradigm espoused in regard to computer-mediated discourse is inaccurate. Instead, she thinks that women and men have different discursive practices, which is reflected in their online behavior on listservs and discussion lists. In addition to actions based on gender, the reaction to othersí online behavior also varies according to gender. The gendered extremes of behavioral and ethical values found by Herring are a reflection of two distinct cultural groups.

What is meant by the term culture? According to American anthropologist, Margaret Mead, "Culture is the learned behaviour of a society or subgroup."(Sadar, 5) Raymond Williams, one of the founders of cultural studies, extends this definition. He suggests that "Culture includes the organization of production, the structure of the family, the structure of institutions which express or govern social relationships, the characteristic forms through which members of society communicate."(Sadar, 5) Herring examines the behavior of subgroups related to one aspect of techno-culture: asynchronous communication on listservs. She also examines wider structural and normative practices that are put forth by netiquette guidelines, and how these practices can serve to marginalize and exclude women.

Thus, I argue that Herring approaches her research through the perspective of cultural feminism. She is particularly interested in techno-culture or cyber-culture. Cultural feminism can be defined as

The theory that there are fundamental personality differences between men and women, and those women’s differences are special and should be celebrated. This theory of feminism supports the notion that there are biological differences between men and women, for example, "women and kinder and more gentle then men", leading to the mentality that if women ruled the world there would be no wars. (Feminist Utopia)

Herring’s gender difference paradigm, and her presentation of men’s anarchic-agonistic ethic and women’s positive-politeness ethic, coincide well with the theories of cultural feminism. Postmodern and ‘new scholar" feminists would likely decry this position as essentialist. Conversely, Herring claims that such cultural differences must be explicitly stated and recognized in order to envision change.

Strengths of Herring’s Findings