“A standpoint is a place from which to
critically view the world around us,” (Griffin, Ledbetter, & Sparks, 2015, p.
431).
It is our perspective, outlook, and
viewpoint of the world. Standpoint theorists Sandra Harding and Julia wood
claim that, “the social groups within which we are located powerfully shape
what we experience and know as well as how we understand and communicate with ourselves,
others, and the world,”(2015, p. 444). Standpoint theory allows us to look
critically at the relationship between power and knowledge within different
standpoint locations in society. It allows us to look at the world through
different perspectives.
When it comes to gender, standpoint
theorists see important differences between men and women. One of these many differences
include that men tend to want more social autonomy, and women tend to want more
social connection. This difference can be observed in how men and women
communicate. Within masculine culture, men tend to use speech to accomplish
tasks, assert themselves, and gain power. Within feminine culture, women tend
to use speech to build relationships, include others, and show responsiveness. However,
this is not always true for everyone, because everyone’s standpoint location is
different. Our many identities, including our gender, race, religion and more,
place us in certain hierarchical locations in society giving some identities
more power and influence than others. Looking critically from different
perspectives at how, where, when, and why this power exists helps us to better understand
it and to eliminate its’ unequal distribution within society.
Everett Follow, B., Ralston, C., & Stein, C.
(2010, November 30). Gender comm presentation. Retrieved
from https://www.slideshare.net/BrittNichEve/gender-comm-presentation
Griffin, E., Ledbetter, A. M., & Sparks, G. G.
(2015). A first look at communication theory (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
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