Tabulación y análisis de datos

There are many forms of feminist theoretical orientations and hence there is no precise definition of what feminism and feminist is. While all feminists are concerned with understanding why inequality between women and men exists and is the reason for the overall subordination of women, feminists do not all agree on where to find the causes of male domination nor how to combat this and achieve liberation for women. In elaborating this situation, feminist writers argue that feminism is not a

124 monolithic ideology, that all feminists do not think alike, and that, like all time-honoured modes of thinking, feminist thought has a past as well as a present and a future.161 However, whatever theoretical and epistemological position they hold, feminists share a common understanding that women have historically been devalued and denied full equality. Feminism therefore provokes questions about undeserved power differentials in society.

In view of that, there is also a debate on the existence of feminist research although many agree that there exists a distinct common research practices that are shared by feminists. Feminist researchers start with the political commitment to produce useful knowledge that will make a difference to women’s lives through social and individual change. Letherby argued that any research may be considered ‘feminist’ which incorporates two main aims; a sensitivity of the role of gender within society and the differential experiences of males and females and a critical approach to the tools of research on society, the structures of methodology and epistemology within which ‘knowledge’ is placed within the public domain.162 _{Feminist research practice can be distinguished by the questions feminists ask, the location of}

the researcher within the process of research and within theorizing, and the intended purpose of the work produced. By documenting women’s lives, experiences, and concerns, illuminating gender-based stereotypes and biases, and unearthing women’s subjugated knowledge, feminist research challenges the basic structures and ideologies that oppress women.163 Although there is no one single method, methodology, or epistemology that informs feminist research , feminists’ writing on research methods generally identify the same key features, which include paying attention to the importance of gender as a

161 _{K Sarikakis et al., ‘ Feminist Theory and Research’ In DW Stacks and MB Salwen (eds.) An Integrated}

Approach To Communication Theory and Measurement (New York: Taylor & Frances, 2009) 513-516 , 504. 162 _{G Letherby Feminist research in theory and practice, (Buckingham: Open University Press, 2003) 5.}

163 _{A. Brooks and SN Hesse-Biber ‘An Invitation to Feminist Research’ in SN Hesse-Biber et al.,(eds) Feminist}

125 central element of social life, avoiding the exploitation of women as subject and objects of knowledge164 and empowering women through social research.165

In a similar way, Reinharz noted that a whole range of feminist methods can be employed in social research, including traditional methods of research such as survey, experimental and case studies, as well as original feminist research methods.166 In fact, to unearth hidden aspects of women’s lives and those of other oppressed groups, and to reclaim subjugated knowledge, some feminist researchers continue to develop new epistemologies, methodologies and methods of knowledge building altogether.167 _{Hence many feminists do not believe one method of knowledge gathering is inherently}

better or worse than any other, because there are varieties of knowledge –gathering techniques used by researchers. 168 In fact one of the things that make feminist research is that many researchers use qualitative and quantitative approaches in research projects to gather knowledge from different perspectives.

Hence, feminist writers argue that different research techniques may be employed in a manner consistent with feminist values to undertake feminist research.169 In order to address the topic of gender asymmetry using feminist epistemological assumptions, researchers have applied a variety of innovative approaches. At a practical level, feminists use many of the same methods as other researchers, but adapt them in ways that make them more consistent with feminist concerns. In many instances, this involves

164 _{See generally M Fonow and J Cook ‘Feminist Methodology: New Applications in the Academy and Public Policy} (1987) 30(4)Journal of Women in Culture and Society 1987.

165 _{S. Hardings and K Norberg ‘ New feminist approaches to Social Science methodologies : An introduction’ (2005) 30} Signs 4 .

166 _{S Reinharz Feminist methods in Social Research (New York: Oxford University Press, (1992) 238.} 167 _{Brooks and Hesse-Biber above n 163 at 4.}

168 _{Hesse – Biber et al., above n 164 at 11.}

169 _{A Doucet and NS. Mauthner ‘Feminist Methodologies and Epistemology’ in CD Bryant and DL. Peck (Eds.)Handbook}

126 adjusting the content and implementation of particular methods to incorporate gender, privilege subjectivity, avoid exploitation and empower women.170 As Letherby rightly stresses, ‘it is not the use of a particular method or methods which characterize a research or project as feminist, but the way in which the methods are used’.171

In this study, although quantitative data collection methods could provide useful information about how many women were able to exercise their right either by accepting or refusing the HIV test, use of quantitative method is not particularly suited to uncover the reasons and perception of women’s individual experience in relation to exercising their autonomous decision making regarding HIV testing. Hence rather than focusing on broader social trends by using quantitative methods, I seek to gain insight into the subjective experiences of women in relation to exercising their autonomous decision making regarding the HIV test offered during their pregnancies by employing qualitative methods. .According to Ramzanoglu and Holland, face-to-face in-depth interviews are associated with feminist principles of reciprocity, valuing women’s personal experience and analysis of nuances of meaning and social relationships.172 Feminist researchers find interviewing appealing it offers researchers access to people’s ideas , thoughts and memories in their own words rather than in the words of the researcher. In addition, the desired outcome of my project is not to obtain a representative sample that lends itself to generalisation of the findings beyond the group of study informants, but to inquire into individual accounts and hence adoption of qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviewing was considered appropriate for this study.

170 _Ibid.

171 _{Letherby above n 162 at 81.}

127 Feminist researchers combine many methods in order to cast their net as widely as possible in the search for understanding critical issues in women’s lives. Discussions of HIV testing approaches are complex and involve understandings of global policies, national legal frameworks, gender power relations and deep-rooted socio cultural norms. With the purpose of grasping this complexity and the meaning given by participants to their experiences, it was deemed necessary in this study to employ a semi-structured in-depth interview that allowed participants to talk about their personal feelings, opinions and experiences. In addition, the normative and conceptual aspects of human rights and ethical principles inform the thrust of discussions and arguments in this thesis. Hence, the thesis also relied on international and regional legal and normative standards, relevant scholarly articles, news, intergovernmental agency health reports, country reports, public health legislation and national and global HIV related policies.