This workshop will explore some of the ‘difficult conversations’ that are encountered in feminist research.

While feminist theory has often emphasised the importance of ‘voice’, ‘giving voice’ and ‘speaking out’, it rarely address two dimensions of this process. Firstly, what about the unspoken? What becomes unspeakable within this practice? What secrets do feminist researchers keep and why? When is silence chosen instead?

Secondly, what difficult conversations emerge during the course of feminist research? How do we move from these moments of conflict or discomfort to transformation and change? How can we understand this process as both necessary and productive? Finally, how has feminist research transformed the wider intellectual landscape?

In this workshop, we will explore some historical developments in feminist epistemology and ontology and look at how difficult conversations play an important role in feminist intellectual history and research praxis.