Ritch Calvin | SUNY: Stony Brook University (original) (raw)

Papers by Ritch Calvin

In this chapter, Calvin develops the second of four modes of FESF, in which epistemological conce... more In this chapter, Calvin develops the second of four modes of FESF, in which epistemological concerns are raised by means of structural elements of the narrative, including the “person” of the narrator, the “time” or chronology of the narrative, and the “perspective” of the narrator. Calvin argues that each of these three structural components of the narrative is used by feminist writers in order to raise epistemological concerns. Calvin offers examples from Joanna Russ, Margaret Atwood, and Laura Bynum to illustrate how these structural elements raise questions of knowledge and epistemology.

In this chapter, Calvin develops the third of four modes of FESF, in which approaches to and atti... more In this chapter, Calvin develops the third of four modes of FESF, in which approaches to and attitudes about science and technology raise epistemological concerns. This chapter describes some of the ways in which feminist scientists and philosophers have challenged both the principles and practices of science, including gender disparities in the field and in interpretation of data, a challenge to the scientific method, and re-examination of the relationship of the Subject and the object of inquiry. To illustrate these concepts, Calvin draws examples from Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Helen Collins, Amy Thomson, and Nalo Hopkinson.

Let us, then, attempt explanation, not with the fantasy of the novelist, but with an intuition su... more Let us, then, attempt explanation, not with the fantasy of the novelist, but with an intuition supported by the facts of history and science. (José Vasconcelos) No basta adaptarnos a una sociedad que cambia en la superficie y permanece idéntica en la raíz. No basta imitar los modelos que se nos proponen y que son la respuesta a otras circunstancias que las nuestras. No basta siquiera descubrir lo que somos. Hay que inventarnos. (Rosario Castellanos) 1 The Chicana social predicament necessitates a reconsideration of both the "idealized past" and the "future perfect."

Science Fiction Studies, 2018

In this chapter, Calvin develops the fourth of four modes of FESF, in which questions of language... more In this chapter, Calvin develops the fourth of four modes of FESF, in which questions of language, language use, and linguistic biases raise epistemological concerns. Beginning in the 1970s, feminist linguists have pointed to the ways in which language and linguistic practice have been biased. Early feminist linguists drew on a deterministic theory of language, while later linguists turned to discourse analysis (DA) models. However, they all examine some of the ways in which the language we speak shapes the questions we can ask about knowledge, and how we talk about it. Calvin offers examples from Ursula K. Le Guin, Suzette Haden Elgin, Sheila Finch, Ruth Nestvold, and Monique Wittig.

In this concluding chapter, Calvin addresses why FESF matters, and what it might offer for a larg... more In this concluding chapter, Calvin addresses why FESF matters, and what it might offer for a larger feminist politics and practice. This conclusion argues that epistemic exclusion inflicts harm on the body politic, and that it excludes certain members of society from full participation in society. The questions that feminist philosophers have asked of epistemology and the questions that feminist science fiction writers ask point to a new form of identity politics no longer predicated on the individual Subject, but rather, on an epistemic community.

Science Fiction Studies, 2011

Inti: Revista de literatura hispánica, 2002

Routledge eBooks, Jan 24, 2023

Utopian Studies, 2008

... Gant-Britton, Lisbeth. &a... more ... Gant-Britton, Lisbeth. "Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower" Women of Other Worlds: Excursions through Science Fiction and Feminism. ... "Post-Apocalyptic Hoping: Octavia Butler's Dystopian/Utopian Fiction." Science Fiction Studies 25.2 (July 1998): 336-361. Mitchell, Angelyn. ...

Studies in global science fiction, 2019

Judith Merril was a writer committed to breaking down norms, barriers, and boundaries. This chapt... more Judith Merril was a writer committed to breaking down norms, barriers, and boundaries. This chapter examines four ways in which Merril challenges the boundaries or barriers between ideas. First, Merril bridges the gaps between science and pseudoscience. Second, Merril breaks down the notion of nation or nationality, especially in her treatment of human/alien encounters. Third, Merril challenges gender divisions, often featuring female characters at a time when they tended to be secondary at best; she also includes conventional “feminine” concerns such as love, maternity, and domestic work. Finally, she challenges the division between mainstream and genre literature, seeing the gap between “science fiction” and “literature” as artificial.

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Jan 3, 2019

This chapter begins by looking at some of the foundational ideas in epistemology, from Plato’s at... more This chapter begins by looking at some of the foundational ideas in epistemology, from Plato’s attempts to differentiate between knowledge and belief, to Rene Descartes’s rejection of previous ideas and development of a “method of doubt,” to John Locke’s turn toward experiential data and empiricism. Calvin demonstrates ways in which ideas central to all three of these thinkers were grounded in gendered concepts, and they have had profound consequences over time. The chapter then examines some ways in which feminist philosophers have devised a number of strategies to avoid or counteract those biases.

In this chapter, Calvin argues that feminist science fiction (FSF) is both a set of characteristi... more In this chapter, Calvin argues that feminist science fiction (FSF) is both a set of characteristics and a process, and while the field of FSF is large and diverse, this chapter defines a particular sub-mode of FSF that emphasizes epistemological concerns. The sub-mode of science fiction, FESF, engages in many of the same concerns as feminist epistemology, including a reimagining of the knowing Subject, a shift in the emphasis on the rational, and an emphasis on the corporeal and concrete.

In this chapter, Calvin develops the first of four modes of FESF, in which epistemological concer... more In this chapter, Calvin develops the first of four modes of FESF, in which epistemological concerns are raised by means of the plot of the novel or story. In order to critique social, cultural, and political practices, the plots of feminist science fiction frequently foreground questions of epistemology. To illustrate the ways in which the plots of FESF raise epistemological concerns, Calvin examines works by Marge Piercy, Octavia Butler, L. Timmel Duchamp, and Larissa Lai.

In this chapter, Calvin develops the second of four modes of FESF, in which epistemological conce... more In this chapter, Calvin develops the second of four modes of FESF, in which epistemological concerns are raised by means of structural elements of the narrative, including the “person” of the narrator, the “time” or chronology of the narrative, and the “perspective” of the narrator. Calvin argues that each of these three structural components of the narrative is used by feminist writers in order to raise epistemological concerns. Calvin offers examples from Joanna Russ, Margaret Atwood, and Laura Bynum to illustrate how these structural elements raise questions of knowledge and epistemology.

In this chapter, Calvin develops the third of four modes of FESF, in which approaches to and atti... more In this chapter, Calvin develops the third of four modes of FESF, in which approaches to and attitudes about science and technology raise epistemological concerns. This chapter describes some of the ways in which feminist scientists and philosophers have challenged both the principles and practices of science, including gender disparities in the field and in interpretation of data, a challenge to the scientific method, and re-examination of the relationship of the Subject and the object of inquiry. To illustrate these concepts, Calvin draws examples from Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Helen Collins, Amy Thomson, and Nalo Hopkinson.

Let us, then, attempt explanation, not with the fantasy of the novelist, but with an intuition su... more Let us, then, attempt explanation, not with the fantasy of the novelist, but with an intuition supported by the facts of history and science. (José Vasconcelos) No basta adaptarnos a una sociedad que cambia en la superficie y permanece idéntica en la raíz. No basta imitar los modelos que se nos proponen y que son la respuesta a otras circunstancias que las nuestras. No basta siquiera descubrir lo que somos. Hay que inventarnos. (Rosario Castellanos) 1 The Chicana social predicament necessitates a reconsideration of both the "idealized past" and the "future perfect."

Science Fiction Studies, 2018

In this chapter, Calvin develops the fourth of four modes of FESF, in which questions of language... more In this chapter, Calvin develops the fourth of four modes of FESF, in which questions of language, language use, and linguistic biases raise epistemological concerns. Beginning in the 1970s, feminist linguists have pointed to the ways in which language and linguistic practice have been biased. Early feminist linguists drew on a deterministic theory of language, while later linguists turned to discourse analysis (DA) models. However, they all examine some of the ways in which the language we speak shapes the questions we can ask about knowledge, and how we talk about it. Calvin offers examples from Ursula K. Le Guin, Suzette Haden Elgin, Sheila Finch, Ruth Nestvold, and Monique Wittig.

In this concluding chapter, Calvin addresses why FESF matters, and what it might offer for a larg... more In this concluding chapter, Calvin addresses why FESF matters, and what it might offer for a larger feminist politics and practice. This conclusion argues that epistemic exclusion inflicts harm on the body politic, and that it excludes certain members of society from full participation in society. The questions that feminist philosophers have asked of epistemology and the questions that feminist science fiction writers ask point to a new form of identity politics no longer predicated on the individual Subject, but rather, on an epistemic community.

Science Fiction Studies, 2011

Inti: Revista de literatura hispánica, 2002

Routledge eBooks, Jan 24, 2023

Utopian Studies, 2008

... Gant-Britton, Lisbeth. &a... more ... Gant-Britton, Lisbeth. "Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower" Women of Other Worlds: Excursions through Science Fiction and Feminism. ... "Post-Apocalyptic Hoping: Octavia Butler's Dystopian/Utopian Fiction." Science Fiction Studies 25.2 (July 1998): 336-361. Mitchell, Angelyn. ...

Studies in global science fiction, 2019

Judith Merril was a writer committed to breaking down norms, barriers, and boundaries. This chapt... more Judith Merril was a writer committed to breaking down norms, barriers, and boundaries. This chapter examines four ways in which Merril challenges the boundaries or barriers between ideas. First, Merril bridges the gaps between science and pseudoscience. Second, Merril breaks down the notion of nation or nationality, especially in her treatment of human/alien encounters. Third, Merril challenges gender divisions, often featuring female characters at a time when they tended to be secondary at best; she also includes conventional “feminine” concerns such as love, maternity, and domestic work. Finally, she challenges the division between mainstream and genre literature, seeing the gap between “science fiction” and “literature” as artificial.

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Jan 3, 2019

This chapter begins by looking at some of the foundational ideas in epistemology, from Plato’s at... more This chapter begins by looking at some of the foundational ideas in epistemology, from Plato’s attempts to differentiate between knowledge and belief, to Rene Descartes’s rejection of previous ideas and development of a “method of doubt,” to John Locke’s turn toward experiential data and empiricism. Calvin demonstrates ways in which ideas central to all three of these thinkers were grounded in gendered concepts, and they have had profound consequences over time. The chapter then examines some ways in which feminist philosophers have devised a number of strategies to avoid or counteract those biases.

In this chapter, Calvin argues that feminist science fiction (FSF) is both a set of characteristi... more In this chapter, Calvin argues that feminist science fiction (FSF) is both a set of characteristics and a process, and while the field of FSF is large and diverse, this chapter defines a particular sub-mode of FSF that emphasizes epistemological concerns. The sub-mode of science fiction, FESF, engages in many of the same concerns as feminist epistemology, including a reimagining of the knowing Subject, a shift in the emphasis on the rational, and an emphasis on the corporeal and concrete.

In this chapter, Calvin develops the first of four modes of FESF, in which epistemological concer... more In this chapter, Calvin develops the first of four modes of FESF, in which epistemological concerns are raised by means of the plot of the novel or story. In order to critique social, cultural, and political practices, the plots of feminist science fiction frequently foreground questions of epistemology. To illustrate the ways in which the plots of FESF raise epistemological concerns, Calvin examines works by Marge Piercy, Octavia Butler, L. Timmel Duchamp, and Larissa Lai.