Feminism, realism, and universalism

Feminists have drawn attention to, and rightly criticized, the tendency of dominant groups unthinkingly to universalize their own values and practices. In so doing, however, many feminists have appeared inclined to criticize almost any practice of generalizing, a development that has proven problematic for feminist epistemological and emancipatory projects. Such considerations invite a questioning of how, if at all, the general and the particular are, or might legitimately be, combined in any context. The argument here is that addressing this sort of question can benefit from a more explicit attention to ontology than is to be found in much of the feminist literature. Illustrations of how ontology can make a difference are developed.