Masculinity and Reflexivity in Health Research with Men

Whilst a great deal has been written regarding gender and the research process, only a limited amount of this work relates specifically to masculinity and the research process and even fewer reflexive accounts of male researchers’ experiences exist. Drawing on the experiences gained and empirical data collected during a three-year qualitative research project on masculinity and health, this article sets out to provide a critical, reflexive, autobiographical account of masculinity and the research process. During the course of this study it became apparent (although often implicit and hidden rather than explicitly visible) that the researchers’ own male gender and gendered practices influenced the research process in its various stages. The article explores how these gendered practices are socially and historically contingent.