Elevating the Voices and Research of Fat Scholars and Activists: Standpoint Theory in Fat Studies

Unfortunately, when it comes to much of the research on fat people, the voices of fat people, including fat researchers and activists, are either marginalized or absent. We believe one way to address this shortcoming in the literature is through greater use of standpoint theory, particularly the application of standpoint approaches that emphasize the importance of situated-knowledge and the epistemic advantage of marginalized groups. In this introduction to the special issue on standpoint theory in fat studies we provide a brief overview of standpoint theory, discuss the achievement of fat standpoint, raise questions about the challenges of engaging in fat studies and fat activism as fat scholars, and highlight the importance of epistemology that is derived from fat people’s own experiences.