This document summarizes the five stages of knowing from the framework developed in Women's Ways of Knowing by Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule. The stages are: silence, received knowledge, subjective knowledge, procedural knowledge, and constructed knowledge. Received knowledge involves accepting truths from authorities without question. Subjective knowledge marks a shift where women begin to see themselves as authorities and rely more on internal thoughts and intuition over external opinions. The framework highlighted how societal expectations and relationships influence how women view knowledge and themselves as knowers.

1. WOMEN’S WAYS OF KNOWING
Five Stages of Knowing
• Silence
• Received Knowledge
• Subjective Knowledge
• Procedural Knowledge
• Constructed Knowledge
Source: http://www.coachtitude.com/what-women-really-want/

2. “IF A WOMEN IS TO CONSIDER HERSELF A REAL KNOWER, SHE MUST FIND
ACCEPTANCE FOR IDEAS IN THE PUBLIC WORLD” (BELENKY, CLINCHY, GOLDBERGER, &
TARULE, 1986, P. 220).
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pot

3. RECEIVED KNOWLEDGE
 Received Knowledge holders see knowledge as absolute truths from absolute
authorities.
 Black and White Thinking involves receiving and repeating knowledge from
the point of view of those in positions of power.
 Words and their meanings remain external, but are no longer seen as
invoking harm.
 Ambiguity reinforces the need for unquestioned polarities and increases these
women's marginalized positions.
 Believe that authorities, not friends hold absolute truths of knowledge.
 Friends must share the receiver's beliefs, or confidence diminishes, and
friendship is not trusted.
 Repeating information back to those in authority is associated with this level
of knowing which comparable to a military type of mindset.
Source: www.ugr.pinanad.com

4. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE RECEIVED
KNOWLEDGE FOR WOMEN
 Their moral judgments conformed to that expected
in their society. They looked to others for knowledge
of self or for socially constructed social or
occupational roles. This often created high
expectations because they saw the need to live up
to others' views of them.
Mary Belenky et al. publish Women's Ways of Knowing

5. SUBJECTIVE KNOWLEDGE
 Distrust logic, analysis, abstraction, and even language itself--some see these methods
belonging to men
 Lack of grounding in a secure, integrated, and enduring self-concept
 Fear that using combative measures in support of her opinion may jeopardize
connections with others
 "...Not at all the masculine assertion that 'I have a right to my opinion'; rather, it is the
modest, inoffensive statement, 'It's just my opinion.'"
 A sense of voice arises
 Truth is an intuitive reaction, experienced not thought out.
 Still the conviction that there are right answers; the source of truth shifted locale-- truth
comes from within the person and can negate external answers--women become their
own authorities
 First hand experience is a valuable source of knowledge--The predominant learning
mode is inward listening and watching
Source: www.pintrest.com

6. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE SUBJECTIVE
KNOWLEDGE
 Women begin to recognize self as an authority, rely on own
subjective thoughts, gain an inner voice.
 Block out conflicting opinions of others.
 Love and Guthrie (1999) emphasize that the transition to
subjective knowledge was most often driven by positive
changes in the personal lives of women (a shift to equitable,
mutually-respectful and supportive relationships and away
from abusive relationships in particular), rather than
experiences within the educational system.
Source:www.marketingtowomenonline.t
ypepad.com

7. TAKEAWAY
 Belnky, Clinchy, Goldberger & Tarule’s book
“Womens Ways of Knowing”, gave insight to how
women looked at learning and knowledge and
brought about the importance of gender roles in
education and society. It identified five different
stages of learning.
Source: www.lokochetna.in