Can Men Do Feminist Fieldwork and Research?

Abstract

AbstractThis article systematically explores key theoretical and political, and epistemological and methodological considerations regarding men undertaking feminist fieldwork and research. This has become increasingly relevant as men working on exploring the gendered analysis of armed conflict and peacebuilding has become relatively routine recently. Yet, there is a dearth of systematic research on this topic. To fill this gap, this article asks two central questions: Can men do feminist fieldwork and research in conflict/post-conflict settings? What are the requirements for this? Drawing from my experience as a heterosexual cis male doing fieldwork on female combatants in a post-conflict setting in Nepal (2017–2018) and building on the long-standing robust scholarly conversation on desirability and possibility of men in feminist research and activism, the article argues that critical self-reflexivity with honesty on limitation and partiality of research, situated knowledge, and positionality and power including ethics of care, moral responsibility, and reciprocity are key considerations for men to engage in feminist fieldwork and research. While gender is a primary concern for men researching on women, there is “multiplex subjectivity” (race, class, caste, ethnicity, nationality, and education) interacting with gender creating complex relational power dynamics before/during/after the fieldwork to influence the research process and outcome.