Epistemological Development and the Politics of Talk in Family Life *

Abstract

One hundred and thirty-five women from all walks of life—some enrolled in colleges, others in programs to enhance parenting skills—were interviewed to trace women's natural epistemologies or their ways of thinking about thinking and about themselves as knowers. We describe five different ways of knowing that women use to make sense out of their experience in the world. We also examine the descriptions that the women gave of the patterns of communication in their families. The politics of talk in family life provides insight into the different kinds of environments which promote and inhibit intellectual development. Examining the politics of talk also provides insight into the role that maternal practice and maternal thinking play in promoting human development.

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