Reinventing Analogue Methods For Research With Women

Abstract

This article was prompted by the current popularity and acceptance of analogue methods in gender-related research. The use of analogues in research with women is examined here for both its strengths and limitations. We acknowledge the distinctive advantages of analogue methods in revealing the nature, extent, and potential outcomes of gender bias and stereotyping of all minority status groups. While recognizing that any method can be feminist, we address four major concerns with current applications of analogue research to questions about women and gender. These concerns cover: (a) relevance to the questions asked, (b) attention to the context of women's lives, (c) significance for situational behavior, and (d) applicability to social change. We propose a set of transformations that applies feminist scholarship to reconceptualizing analogues in research related to women and gender.