ABSTRACT
The development of self-knowledge is a classic topic of research that focuses on the emergence of self-awareness and the development of the psychological self-concept (Damon & Hart, 1982, 1988; Harter, 1986, 1990; M. Lewis, 1991; M. Lewis & Brooks-Gunn, 1979; Rochat, 1995). However, much of this work is based on traditional philosophies that are inconsistent with how women understand the world and themselves, according to principles of feminist epistemology. The first part of this chapter reviews theories and methods that characterize traditional research on the development of self-knowledge and explains why these approaches may be considered androcentric (Baier, 1985; Bordo, 1987; Code, 1991, 1998a; Duran, 1991; Gatens, 1998; Haraway, 1989; Harding, 1986, 1991; Jaggar, 1983, 1989; Keller, 1985; Longino, 1993; L. H. Nelson, 1990). The second part of the chapter outlines a feminist model of self-knowing and suggests research questions and methods that would be useful for studying the development of self-knowledge within this framework. The final section describes research programs that approach the study of self-knowledge in ways that are consistent with feminist epistemological principles and offers directions for future research.
