Applying the Feminist Research Methodology in the Study of Women's Livelihood Practices

Abstract

This paper chronicles how the researcher, in her dissertation entitled "Livelihood Practices of Women in the Informal Economy: Forging Pathways Towards a Feminist Solidarity Economy," utilized the feminist research methodology to contribute to a continuing analysis of women's condition and position, to highlight organized women's efforts and achievements in ameliorating their situation through individual and group enterprise projects, and to identify further avenues of transformation. It demonstrates how feminist research values and principles were adhered to in choosing the research topic, the formulation of the research problem and objectives, the selection of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks, the choice of the data-gathering methods, the crafting of the research instruments, and the processes of data-gathering, data analysis and validation.