"Real Women" in Women's Studies: A Reflexive Look at the Theory/Practice Dilemma

by Marjorie Jolles

Introduction: The Theory/ Practice Dilemma

In women's studies classrooms, a common theme of debate is the "theory/practice dilemma." This dilemma centers on the belief that there is a gap between the ideal and the real, perceived as a gap between what we do with our heads and what we do with our bodies, a gap between thought and action, and a gap between the solutions we envision to social problems and the challenges inherent in putting those envisioned solutions into practice. Exploring this perceived dilemma is not unique to women's studies classrooms; at least since Aristotle identified theoria as distinct from praxis, scholars have often approached theoretical learning as an abstraction of, and therefore at a distance from, everyday life. Though not every generation of feminist scholars has lamented a dilemma between theory and practice, it seems to be a currently popular topic, of a piece with "third wave" feminist concerns to redress the failures and weaknesses of feminist scholarship of earlier generations.