Researching Young Masculinities During the Rise of ‘Misogyny Influencers’: Exploring Affective and Embodied Discomfort and Dilemmas of Feminist and Queer Researchers

Abstract

This article explores the affective dynamics of researching boys’ views on gender inequalities, (anti)feminism and ‘misogyny influencers’ such as Andrew Tate. We interviewed boys (aged 13–14) who had participated in ‘rethinking masculinity’ workshops delivered by an educational charity at their school. Using an affective ethnographic approach, this article focuses on a particular research encounter, where boys expressed heightened misogyny and homophobia. Through discussion of interview transcripts, field notes and retrospective memory work about the experience of participating in the research, we dwell within the deep discomfort and ethical challenges of conducting research with boys who express these views. We conclude with a set of recommendations for researchers working at the intersection of gender/sex/uality and feminist pedagogy and in dialogue with discourses and practices designed to critically engage with masculinities, considering how gender transformative work may need to disrupt the gender binary.