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The Conceptual Practices Of Power: A Feminist Sociology of Knowledge
Book by Smith, Dorothy E.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
About the author
Dorothy E. Smith
25 books13 followersDorothy Edith Smith CM (born July 6, 1926) is a Canadian sociologist with research interests in a variety of disciplines, including women's studies, feminist theory, psychology, and educational studies, as well as in certain subfields of sociology, such as the sociology of knowledge, family studies, and methodology. Smith founded the sociological sub-disciplines of feminist standpoint theory and institutional ethnography.
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May 17, 2026
Analytical!
The book critiques dominant forms of sociological knowledge by showing how institutional and academic practices often reproduce relations of power while obscuring everyday lived experiences, especially those of women. Dorothy E. Smith develops a feminist sociology grounded in standpoint theory, arguing that social inquiry should begin from people’s actual activities and experiences rather than abstract conceptual systems detached from everyday life. The book is an influential contribution to feminist sociology, institutional ethnography, and critiques of knowledge production.
The book critiques dominant forms of sociological knowledge by showing how institutional and academic practices often reproduce relations of power while obscuring everyday lived experiences, especially those of women. Dorothy E. Smith develops a feminist sociology grounded in standpoint theory, arguing that social inquiry should begin from people’s actual activities and experiences rather than abstract conceptual systems detached from everyday life. The book is an influential contribution to feminist sociology, institutional ethnography, and critiques of knowledge production.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review