Doing “male” diversity research in France: a self-reflective account

Abstract

Purpose – Little is known qualitatively about how men become involved in diversity research. The purpose of this paper is to address a part of the gap in this type of research. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a self-reflective account of how the author became involved in diversity work. Findings – The author argues that “doing diversity” can be said to reflect an implicit “tempered radical” (Meyerson and Scully, 1995) approach which triggered deep-level concerns about a particular invisible trait that – up to the present paper –the author had never addressed in the research. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation is that the contribution is based on a self-reflective account and can only be taken as a possibility among many possibilities; not as a representative situation. Practical implications – The diversity concept's vagueness which is often criticized for diluting pre-existing concerns about gender (and other) strands, appears to have the potential of helping male researchers to become aware of diversity strands they had never dared to address before, and to become aware of some of the male privileges they had enjoyed unknowingly. Social implications – The paper illuminates that white males can benefit from working on the concept of diversity. Having been induced to work on diversity from social pressures rather than from a personal initiative does not reduce the pleasure, excitement and learning drawn from doing diversity-related work. Originality/value – No paper to the author's knowledge focuses on male diversity research in France, an up-to-now silent area.