Shards of glass: Drawing attention to the constitutive power of discourse

This is a response to a Review Essay (McFarlane, 1998) of Shards of Glass (Davies, 1993). The reviewer questioned whether the misogynist language of primary school boys in the study had been exaggerated by the research method, which used mixed-gender group interviews. We consider some of the ethical difficulties involved for researchers working with children, in situations in which language harmful to girls may be spoken. The issue of creating texts as part of feminist practice is considered in the light of McFarlane's suggestion that a feminist perspective requires the articulation of indignation. We raise questions about such foreclosure on appropriate feminist action, considering the goals of feminist research framed by poststructural questions in which previously unexamined certainties and norms are put under scrutiny. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.