COM 100 Summer 2014

Standpoint Theory

Tuesday, August 5, 2014 7:28 pm

Sandra Harding and Julia T. Wood are the Standpoint theorists who 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.” Standpoint is “a place from which to critically view the world around us” and it affects our view of the world entirely. German Philosopher George Hegel claims that whatever a person “knows” about themselves, society, and others around them are dependent on whatever group they are a part of. In the classic movie, Tarzan, it is portrayed perfectly. Tarzan has been raised in the forest by animals and only knows the ways of the wild. When he encounters humans throughout the movie he is confused and unfamiliar with human behavior and ultimately rejects it. His standpoint is of the jungle life, so he isn’t clear about the human standpoint and does not like it.

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