Making the Case: Feminist and Critical Race Philosophers Engage Case Studies

Description

Analyzes the value of using case-based methodologies to address contemporary social justice issues in philosophy. Making the Case brings together established and emerging philosophers who use case studies to address a variety of contemporary social justice causes. The contributors show both the depth and breadth of work in this area and highlight the distinctive approaches that feminist and critical race theorists, in particular, have pursued. For these theorists, the choice of the kinds of cases analyzed matters, not only pushing philosophy as a field to foreground the challenges facing marginalized groups but also affecting the kind of philosophy that results. This ensures that their theories do not reproduce the conceptual frameworks of dominant groups. By using thickly described cases, as opposed to the thinly described or hypothetical situations that have been the historic mainstay of philosophy, the contributors strive to create philosophy that never strays too far from the complexities of people’s lives on the ground. The book provides philosophers with a host of methodologies, theories, and practical examples for use in social justice case work, with topics ranging from census design and gender bias in science to incarceration and the spate of recent police killings of black men and women. Heidi Grasswick is the George Nye and Anne Walker Boardman Professor of Mental and Moral Science at Middlebury College and the editor of Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science: Power in Knowledge. Nancy Arden McHugh is Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Wittenberg University and is the author of Feminist Philosophies A–Z and The Limits of Knowledge: Generating Pragmatist Feminist Cases for Situated Knowing, published by SUNY Press. Contents Acknowledgments Introduction The Use of Cases and Case Studies: Philosophy and the Contributions of Feminist and Critical Race Philosophy Trends toward Case Studies in Philosophy Characteristics of Case Use in Feminist and Critical Race Philosophies Our Definition of Cases and Case Studies Contents and Organization of This Collection Part 1: Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives on Case Studies Part 2: Critiquing the Practice: The Case of Philosophy Part 3: Case Studies for Social Justice Notes References Part 1 Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives on Case Studies Chapter 1 Building a Case for Social Justice: Situated Case Studies in Nonideal Social Theory Introduction A Methodology for Nonideal Theory Theory, Method, Methodology, Epistemology Nonideal Theorizing as Critical Method Critique of Ideal Theory Idealized Social Ontology Idealized Social Epistemology Idealized Social Morality A Situated Methodology Situating Case Studies for Nonideal Theory Case Studies: What They Are and What We Want Them to Be Abstract Hypothetical Experiential Social Scientific Situated Case Studies Conclusion Acknowledgments Notes References Chapter 2 The Coupled Ethical-Epistemic Model as a Resource for Feminist Philosophy of Science, and a Case Study Applying the Model to the Demography of Hispanic Identity Introduction Coupled Ethical-Epistemic Analysis Introduction to a Case Study: Collecting Hispanic Ethnicity Data Separately from Race Data in the US What Are the Chosen Variables’ Strengths and Weaknesses for Evidence Gathering and Analysis? What Are the Chosen Variables’ Ethical Strengths and Weaknesses? How Will the Chosen Variables’ Strengths and Weaknesses for Evidence Gathering and Analysis Affect Ethical Issues? How Will the Chosen Variables’ Ethical Strengths and Weaknesses Affect Evidence Gathering and Analysis? Summary of the Analysis Epistemic Strengths and Weaknesses Ethical Strengths and Weaknesses Epistemic Features’ Effects on Ethical Features Ethical Features’ Effects on Epistemic Features Next Steps for the Coupled Ethical-Epistemic Framework Notes References Chapter 3 Feminist Science Studies: Reasoning from Cases Introduction Sexism and Gender Bias in Science The Problem with Cases Anderson and Feminist Values Morgan: Three Generic Strategies Lloyd: Research on the Female Orgasm Conclusion Notes References Part 2 Critiquing the Practice: The Case of Philosophy Chapter 4 The Power and Perils of Example: “Literizing Is Not Theorizing” I II III IV Notes References Chapter 5 What Philosophy Does (Not) Know Case One: Two Philosophers Who Seem to Come at Things from “Out of Nowhere” Case Two: Not Acknowledging Resonance at Traditional Conferences Case One Revisited Notes References Chapter 6 Doing Things with Case Studies Doing Things with Socially Significant Case Studies What Is a Case Study? What Is a Socially Significant Case Study? Doing Things Why Should Philosophers Do Things with Case Studies? Ethical Reasons: Objectification Epistemic Benefits Improved Rigor Usefulness What Should Philosophers Do with Their SSCSs? Strategically Disseminate Philosophical Work to Appropriate Publics Collaborate Remove Barriers and Create Institutional Support Bolster Open-Access Publishing Create Mechanisms for Evaluating Nontraditional Research Publications and Different Kinds of Collaborative Research Develop Professional Organizations and Networks Conclusion Notes References Part 3 Case Studies for Social Justice Chapter 7 Singing the “Blues” for Black Male Bodies: Epistemic Violence, Non-alterity, and Black-Male Killings Fanonian Non-alterity and Epistemic Violence Fanonian Non-alterity Epistemic Violence: Silencing Practices Richard Henry: Non-alterity Examined in Baldwin’s Blues The “Buck” “Being-for-Others”-Object Disposable Raw Material Animalized Phantasm and Epistemic Violence Non-Alterity Examined in the Murder Case of Michael Brown “Being-for-Others” Object Monster-Phantasm and Epistemic Violence Disposable Raw Material Conclusion Notes References Chapter 8 Land(point) Epistemologies: Theorizing the Place of Epistemic Domination The Hermeneutic Context of Knowing Perception and Visibilized Knowers The Landedness of Knowing Settler Horizons, Evidence, and Erasure Conclusion Notes References Chapter 9 Epistemology and HIV Transmission: Privilege and Marginalization in the Dissemination of Knowledge Theory, Cases, and HIV-Risk Intuitions Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 Scenario 4 HIV Research Findings and Initial Epistemic Implications Basic Epidemiology of HIV Ignorance of HIV-Positive Status HIV Testing, the Window Period, and Epistemic Limits Viral Loads and Infectivity ART and Suppressed Viral Loads Developments in Prophylaxis Reviewing the Epistemic Implications Epistemic Harm, Epistemic Injustice, and HIV Hermeneutical Injustice, Contributory Injustice, and the Epistemic Resources of HIV-Positive MSM Structural-Linguistic Epistemic Injustices and Talking about HIV Conclusion and Additional Steps Notes References Chapter 10 Mestizaje as an Epistemology of Ignorance: The Case of the Mexican Genome Diversity Project I II III IV V Notes References Chapter 11 Epistemic Activism and the Politics of Credibility: Testimonial Injustice Inside/Outside a North Carolina Jail Introduction Jail and the Politics of Credibility The Social-Contextualist Shift:Jail and Its Surrounding Contexts The Social-Interactionist Shift:Interacting Inside and Outside Jail Summary: A Robust Politics of Credibilityand Epistemic Activism Notes References Contributors Index