A Feminist and “Outsider” in the Field: Negotiating the Challenges of Researching Young Men

Abstract

For a number of years, women scholars have documented the difficulties faced when conducting research with male participants. This article contributes to this scholarship by reflecting on fieldwork I conducted with young men from a rural high school in Aotearoa/New Zealand. While the primary aim of this project was to collect moments of young men's talk that spoke to their understandings of gendered norms within (hetero)romantic relationships, I also ended up gathering other data in the form of how they interacted with me and each other during our discussions. What resulted were a range of challenges that appeared connected to my "outsider" status. This article exposes these challenges and offers my reflections on why they occurred, how I managed them at the time, and what I learnt in the process.

Operationalising ‘toxicity’ in the manosphere: Automation, platform governance and community health

“…As ‘outsiders’ studying a community known to be hostile (particularly to women) we present this methodological approach as a way for academics to research extremist or hostile online communities without putting themselves at risk and within an organic setting in which the researchers do not influence the communication within the community. Feminist researchers have previously recognised the particular challenges of researching men as women and ‘outsiders’ (Vogels, 2019) entering a male-dominated space. These challenges helped inform the design of the study along with several broader ethical concerns raised in the study of online communities (Franzke et al, 2020).…”

Recruiting Men for a Study Exploring First-Time Father’s Involvement in Pregnancy and Childbirth: Reflections From Fieldwork Conducted in Nigeria

“…It is challenging because female researchers often have to work very hard to make a good impression, unlike their male counterparts (Gurney, 1985); slow because it usually takes time to fit into the stereotypical cultural roles and gain acceptance. The literature has raised meaningful discussions on gender and interviewing (Haddow, 2021; Monahan & Fisher, 2015; Poulton, 2012); providing explanations about its influences on the interviewer and interviewee and the role of environmental context in amplifying these influences (Lee, 1997; Pini, 2005; Vogels, 2019; Lefkowich, 2019). Research articles have also highlighted the awkward situation female researchers are sometimes placed in, while engaging with male interviewees in the field.…”

“…To fulfil the study objectives, adopting a one-to-one interview technique was considered appropriate because it could offer each participant the opportunity to discuss their experiences freely without peer influences or towering opinions from strong responders, something seen in most group interview formats (e.g. focus group interviews) (Vogels, 2019). In their article, F. Ryan et al, (2009) , discuss three broad viewpoints that should be considered in a one-on-one interview process: (a) the interview process, (b) the roles of the interviewer and interviewee and (c) interviewing in challenging situations.…”