tiol workshop on feminist research methodology held

From a Correspondent

Dibrugarh, September 6: A seven-day tiol workshop on feminist research methodology was organized by the Centre for Women’s Studies here at the conference hall of the Centre for Women Studies, Dibrugarh University recently.

The iugural session of the workshop was chaired by former Director of the Centre for Women’s Studies, Dibrugarh University, Prof. Apar Mahanta, The chief guest of the iugural session was  Dean, School of Commerce and Magement Sciences, Dibrugarh University, Prof. Ajanta Rajkonwar, , while the  Professor of the Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi,  Maitrayee Chaudhuri , was the key-note speaker  of  the session.

Dr smeem Farhin Akhtar, Director in-Charge of the workshop, formally welcomed the guests and participants to the workshop which was jointly co-ordited by Assistant Professors of the Centre, Priyanka Sharma and  Barli Das.  Research Associate,  Lonee Dowerah and Research Assistant Debajanee Bora were the joint coorditors of the workshop.

Professor Maitrayee Chaudhuri, in her key-note address, delved into the history of feminist research methodology. She referred to the inter connection between theory and methods. Professor Chaudhuri pointed out the importance of conceptualizing the data in order to count it and that the data should not be collected without the understanding of the society. She further emphasized that women could not be seen in isolation from gender and that the relatiol dymics needed to be explored. Chaudhuri  in her speech primarily concentrated  on history, defamiliarization, the inter-link between method and theory while understanding feminist research methodology. She also stressed the importance of incorporating the research findings into teaching materials.

The former Director of the Centre for Women’s Studies, Dibrugarh University and the chairperson of the iugural session, Prof. Apar Mahanta, in her deliberation, lauded the efforts of the Centre for Women’s Studies in initiating a new beginning. She emphasized the significance of self-alysis, thinking, and theorizing while doing research.

The workshop witnessed the participation of 44 scholars across universities and colleges in India- Jawaharlal Nehru University, Ambedkar University, University of Hyderabad, Jadavpur University, Gauhati University, Assam University, Assam Women’s University, Cotton College State University, Handique College, Dibrugarh University, DHSK College, DHSK Commerce College and Dibru College. Apart from Professor Maitrayee Chaudhuri, other resource persons of the workshop included Professor Rajib Handique, from the Department of History, Gauhati University, and a considerable number of senior professors and scholars from the host institution, Dibrugarh University.

The workshop addressed a wide array of issues such as Importance of Theory in Social Science Research, Hermeneutics and Phenomenological Approach to Feminist Research, New Trends in Feminist Research Methodology, Feminist Research: A North East Perspective, rrative/ Oral History Method, Documenting Memories and History, Ethnographic Studies: The Feminist Point of View, Application of SPSS in Social Science Research and other trends in Feminist Research Methodology.

The workshop concluded with the valedictory meeting where the organisers had an interactive session with the participants involving their feedback on various issues relating to the workshop. The participants expressed that the workshop opened up new horizons in doing research in feminist studies.