IV Annual Cycle Young Social Scientists
2008-2009

January 14th, 2009, 17:00, CES Seminar Room
 
Maria do Mar Pereira (London School of Economics)

Studying gender, making gender: social sciences and the construction of gender whilst research object and social phenomenon

Abstract: This paper sets forth from the observations of an ethnography with youths at a school in Lisbon in order to formulate a set of issues regarding the conceptualization of gender in social sciences in Portugal. In what manners, and based on what presuppositions, do we construct gender as a study object? How is it that these presuppositions model our observations and conclusions?
I shall argument that the different theoretical, analytical and methodological resources we use to think gender are not neutral instruments – rather narratives with specific characteristics that construct gender in a particular mode, not only as an object but also as a social phenomenon. I shall stress the need too assume a reflexive posture in face of the ways that gender is “made” in social sciences, so as to avoid our research to inadvertently reinforce and legitimate the dualisms, essentialisms and determinisms that should be its problematizing objective.

Biographic note: Maria do Mar Pereira is preparing a doctorate degree at the Gender Institute, London School of Economics (LSE), with a thesis on the institutionalization of Women Studies, Gender Studies, and Feminist Studies in Portugal. She is degreed in Sociology at ISCTE and has carried out research on the negotiation of gender among young people, narratives on masculinity and paternity, and gender representations in media and has produced several publications and papers regarding these themes. Maria do Mar Pereira lectures the course "Practising Interdisciplinarity in European Gender Studies", a six European universities partnership, and maintains an active participation in feminists movements at local and international level.