Feminist philosophers are not usually hurting for work. Especially at the early career stages, we’re infamous for prioritizing teaching and service above scholarship, we’re often drafted as token women or feminist-friendly men on committees and panels, and as so many can attest, learning the ropes of the profession from the edges can keep us busy as well. (Hey, reinventing the wheel takes time!)
Yet I find that I resemble the remarks in recent online discussion about philosophers who don’t contribute to the labor of anonymous refereeing for journals, even as I have become a more active writer. I’m struck by the suggestion that perhaps we should referee twice as many articles as we submit. How annoyingly sensible. And as it turns out, philosopher-editors appreciate it when I volunteer. So, my feminist friends, although you’re disproportionately likely to have service coming out of your ears, consider improving our discipline for all our sakes: Most importantly, submit feminist philosophy to journals!, and depending on what journals are in your area, volunteer to referee!
A message from your friendly neighborhood service-hog.
I’m glad you found that suggestion sensible.
On a related topic, I’d also like to take a moment to let readers here know that the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy has recently added an area editor in feminist philosophy, Christina Bellon (I serve as another area editor). I’m sure that Christina would welcome not only submissions but also offers to referee (all IEP entries are blind-reviewed). You can find a list of desired articles here:
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/b/bellonc/iep.html
Knowing how hard it is to get sympathetic referees for feminism articles, I only turn down requests if I’m not competent or if I don’t have proper anonymity. I’m much more comfortable turning down requests in my other area of expertise, where I know that there are plenty of people who can do the job.