Jineolojî is an original concept proposed by Abdullah Öcalan, in his
2009 book 'Sociology of Freedom', in an attempt to redefine scientificresearch through the lens and perspectives and experiences of women.
Jineolojî has its etymological roots in the Kurdish words jin (woman)
and jiyan (life) to which the Latin suffix -logy (science) is added to
establish the stratified relationship between women, life and science.
---- Thus Jineolojî, a challenge to the positivist framework of
traditional sciences and an indispensable tool to widen the river of
Democratic Modernity, can be translated as "the science of women"
although it has also been broadly defined as "the science of society",
"the science of coexistence" or "the science that reveals knowledge".
Jineolojî seeks to analyse and criticise systems of exploitation built
on male-dominated power dynamics and their authority-driven life
perspectives. It goes beyond a purely biological definition of women by
adding to it their sociological, historical and dialectical existence,
this being "the essence of sociology", "the sum of subject-object", "the
first and last colony".
Pointing out the crisis caused by the capitalist scientific paradigm,
especially in the social sciences, which is separated from women and
life, Öcalan states that "the science that is developed around
coexistence, especially around women, will be the first step towards a
correct sociology" because women's identity extends far beyond mere
biology, encompassing intricate economic, social and political
dimensions. Therefore, understanding the nature of women also
illuminates the nature of society itself.
In other words, Jineolojî is both a social science and a women's science
that questions the rigid boundaries drawn between the natural sciences,
humanities and social sciences, insisting on the social dimension of all
scientific endeavours and that only a women-centred science can
transcend male-dominated power structures by promoting genuine
socialisation, taking into account that historical and contemporary
sociability revolves mainly around women.
Jineolojî posits that for women to develop their full potential, it is
necessary to establish scientific, philosophical, artistic, activist and
organisational structures on their basis, considering scientific
research as an integral component of women's struggle for freedom.
A central element of its methodology is the examination and resolution
of issues deeply related to society and identity, particularly those
concerning women's roles in their relations with men and between humans
and nature. Jineolojî reminds the social sciences of their
responsibility to address the crises we are currently experiencing in a
holistic manner, avoiding fragmenting the historical and social essence
of women while considering their interconnection with life and nature.
While certain scientific disciplines have developed research and
theories on women, these efforts have often led to the domestication of
women's studies or their confinement to specific academic departments.
This fragmentation highlights the contemporary need for women's science
that emerged as a critique of the failure of the social sciences of
Capitalist Modernity.
A fundamental principle of Jineolojî is to see women not simply as
"victims" but as fundamental subjects of society who possess an
affirmative and creative potential and an intrinsic reality that makes
them both subject and object of scientific study. The methodological and
interpretive framework established in 'Sociology of Freedom' serves as a
cornerstone of the epistemological structure of women's science.
This approach emphasizes expanding and enhancing awareness of life and
the possibilities of freedom with the aim of transcending dualities
based on subject-object separations and proposes an integrated
perspective that balances emotional and analytical intelligence while
overcoming absolute universalism.
This methodological stance, shaped by critiques of feminist
epistemology, is based on insights from feminist thought, not only in
its reading, but also in the accumulated experiences of anti-systemic
movements including class struggles, national liberation movements, and
ecological struggles.
"The Middle East was not only the birthplace of goddess cultures, but
also the first region where these cultures were destroyed through the
denial, murder, and alienation of women. This destruction gave rise to
the first social problem: the women's question." Nagihan Akarsel (2020)
In response to this observation, Jineolojî adopts the principle of
"searching for what was lost where it was lost" as an ethical and
political stance. It draws connections with feminist movements, women
resisting within national liberation struggles, female guerrillas, and
women's organizations in opposition movements. However, any discussion
of Jineolojî's uniqueness remains incomplete without considering the
intellectual and structural legacy of the Kurdish freedom movement and
the Rojava women's revolution.
While recognizing feminist movements as the vanguard of systemic
critique, Jineolojî identifies the challenges feminism faces in
overcoming positivism and Capitalist Modernity. It takes responsibility
for addressing these limitations by integrating fragmented feminist
practices and thoughts into a coherent framework and does so by breaking
away from state-centric, power-based knowledge systems and establishing
women-centred knowledge structures.
It argues that the construction of democratic, ecological and women's
liberation perspectives, foundations of Democratic Confederalism, must
emerge from grassroots movements, rejecting approaches that resemble
hierarchical power structures. In doing so, women's science critiques
certain feminist perspectives that reduce all identities to constructed
superstructures.
Since its initial discussions in 2011, Jineolojî has made significant
organisational progress. The establishment of the Jineolojî Academy was
formalised during its first conference in 2015. Efforts to reconnect
women with knowledge have included seminars, conferences, camps and
workshops around the world.
In Kurdistan, particularly in Rojava, women's science has conducted
sociological analysis and oral culture studies and established research
centres focusing on women's truth. The Academy promotes alternative
politics through studies on women's existence, nature, politics, ethics,
aesthetics, economics and literature.
In 2016, the Jineology Journal began publishing and contributed in 2019
to the creation of Jinwar, a women's village in Rojava. Since then,
research centres and a Faculty of Jineology have been established in
Rojava, as well as another centre in Belgium in 2018. These initiatives,
together with networks of committees and workshops, have broadened the
reach of women's science. In addition, the Andrea Wolf Institute,
founded in Rojava in 2019, has further strengthened the connections
between Jineology and women around the world, particularly in Europe,
Latin America and Asia.
Article taken from Medyanews.
https://medyanews.net/jineology-a-women-centred-science-redefining-knowledge-and-life/
To learn more about Jineolojî: https://jineoloji.eu/en/
https://apoyomutuoaragon.net/jineoloji-una-introduccion
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten