Belenky’s Theory of Women’s Ways of Knowing: Women’s Cognitive Development Process

1. Belenky’s Theory of Women’s Ways of Knowing: Women’s Cognitive Development Process Rich Slaymaker, Amanda Pinedo, Nathalie Miramontes, Katie Bell, Jared Votaw & Becca Payne

2. Introduction: • Four theorists: Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule • Began research in late 1970s • Interviewed 135 women (ages 16-60+) focusing on cognitive development in a variety of contexts including formal education. • Became concerned about why women speak so frequently of problems and gaps in their learning and so often doubt their intellectual competence • Became aware of fact: For many women, “real” and valued lessons learned did not necessarily grow out of their academic work, but in relationships with friends and teachers, life crises, and community involvements. • For women, the development of voice, mind and self are intricately intertwined. • Women often feel alienated in academic settings. • Everyday/Professional/In the Classroom: Women feel unheard even when they believe they have something important to say. • Developed five epistemological perspectives from which women make meaning of their lives and view themselves and the world.

3. Silence • Women were among the youngest and the most deprived compared to others in the interview process • What women experienced: - Fearfulness - Felt “Deaf and Dumb”: “They felt deaf because they assumed they could not learn from the words of others and dumb because they felt so voiceless.” - Disconnected -Obedient toward authorities • Words= Weapons: “ The silent women worried that they would be punished for using words-any words.” • Incapable of Knowing and Thinking • Why was silence forced on these women? - Domineering parents - Authoritarian spouses

4. Received Knowing • Listening to the voice of others • Learning consists of listening to others, and truth resides in others, not in the self. • A lack of self-confidence is evident • These women tend to be in awe of authority • Some feel confused with class assignments and may be rendered incapable when required to do original work • Women in this perspective are intolerant to ambiguity and must have a black and white answer for everything • Finally, women here have little confidence in their own voice and trust others for truth.

5. Subjective Knowing • The switch • Authority is… • How they learn • What they trust

6. Procedural Knowing Transitioning to Procedural knowledge • Women began to notice inner contradictions through the development and expansion of an inner sense of self, voice, and mind. • Recognition of own sense of authority from their personal experience Procedural knowing • Learning and applying objective procedures for receiving and conveying knowledge • Procedures, skills, techniques of processing the accuracy of internal truth and authority

7. Procedural Knowing Two types of learning • Connected knowing- “believing game”: characterized by a distanced, skeptical, and impartial stance toward that which one is trying to know (a reasoning against) • The goal is to emphasize on meaning, to understand and be understood • Relationships between knowers are supportive and seek to reason with one another • Basis of authority is gained from personal experience • Strength: airs on being holistic and inclusive • Vulnerabilities: absence of conviction, loss of identity, autonomy and power, danger of always being the listener • Separate knowing- “doubting game”: characterized by a stance of belief and an entering into the place of the other person or the idea that one is trying to know (a reasoning with) • The goal is to justify, test, refine, convince and be convinced • Relationships between knowers are adversarial, challenging and reason again one another • Basis of authority is mastering relevant knowledge and methodology • Strengths: being narrow and discriminating • Vulnerabilities: absence of conviction, care and intimacy, alienation, with a danger of never listening • Example • Student panel making a decision about black students concern for the traditional orientation program.   Sarah: Separate knowing Susan: Connected knowing

8. Constructed Knowledge • Transition to Constructed Knowledge - Self-reflection and self-analysis - The self as an object of study and sense making -Find a lace for reason, intuition and the expertise of others in the knowing process • Constructed Knowing • Integration of the knower (self), the known(mind), and the communication of the know (voice) • “It is the process of sorting out the pieces of the self and searching for a unique and authentic voice” • Two basic insights of constructivist thought: • All knowledge is constructed • The knower is an intimate part of what is known • “Real talk” • High Tolerance for internal contradiction and ambiguity • Articulate and reflective

9. Constructed Knowledge • “ I have come to see things in my own way. I feel that everyone has something unique to say, but some people know how to develop it. Some people can go even further- they can go outside the given frames of reference. Most people have something to say inside given frames of reference. But then you take someone like Freud or Darwin- they are able to jump outside of the given to create a whole new frame of references. That doesn’t happen too often. They stay with it. They create their whole life around it. They change everything for everyone.”

10. Learning Outcomes • Empower women to find their voice • Equip RA’s for “Break the Silence” week • Improve communication skills • Leadership and professional development • Raise awareness

11. The Intervention

12. How Women are Placed in Silence • Culturally • Disability • Violence/Abuse

13. Behind Closed Doors • Jane is a sophomore and has been dating Bob for the past 3 months.  Freshman year, Jane was very involved on her hall and made a lot of close friends.  Since Bob and Jane’s relationship began, you have noticed Jane pulling away from her friends and not getting involved with your hall activities.  You’ve noticed that she has lost weight and has been struggling to keep up with classes.  Whenever you talk with her about her relationship with Bob she avoids eye contact and gives brief answers.  Feeling concerned, you confront her about this issue.

14. Ways to reach to women in silence: • One-on-one intentional mentorship opportunities: • Seek out women in silence because they most likely won’t seek others out. • Establish relationships, make them feel included, invite them places. • Help encourage personal development. • Facilitate group discussion: • Provide safe environment to be open and share. • Small groups in dorms or meetings with dorm as a whole. • Encourage study groups. • Be an active listening ear. • Make them feel they're being heard. • Being open and vulnerable as a role model. • Be willing to share and show women it's a safe place to talk. • Men: • Be intentional- Look out for women in silence and encourage them to speak up. • Be a role to men in dorm to be open, available, approachable, supportive, and listen in their personal relationships.

15. Questions?

16. References Belenky , M.F., Clinchy, B.M., Goldberger, N.R., & Tarule, J.M. (1986). Women's ways of knowing the development of self, voice, and mind. New York: Basic Books, Inc., Publishers. Cole, D., & Ahmadi, S. (2003). Perspectives and experiences of muslim women who vail on college campuses. Journal of College Student Development, 44(1), Evans, N. J.; Forney, D.S.; & Guido-Dibrito, F. (1998). Student development in college: Theory, research , and practice. San Francisco: Jossy-Bass Komives, S. R., Woodward, D. B. & Associates (2003) Student services: A handbook for the profession. 4th Edition. Jossey-Bass (ISBN: 0-7879-6050-0). Winter, Initials. (1999). Women's ways of knowing. New Directions for Student Services, (88),