Men Researching Violent Men: Epistemologies, Ethics and Emotions in Qualitative Research

Abstract

Researching men who have been violent and understanding the violence that they have committed is complex and difficult. It raises intellectual, epistemological, ethical and emotional challenges for all researchers. This chapter explores the particular issues for men engaging in research with other men who have committed various acts of violence. The word ‘violence’ itself refers to a wide range of activities; generally it carries a negative implication. Violence is bad; but then not all violence is bad, protective defensive violence may be construed as a necessary evil. Violence within sport is increasingly recognized as an inevitable component of many activities, whether the ‘end’ of the sport is violence (martial arts including boxing) or whether violence becomes a necessary ‘means’ to success. Additionally, the violences perpetrated in the name of the State, through military or other means, are rarely named as ‘violence’. These forms of violence are generally interpersonal, but can also be genocidal or ecological; they all have wider social impacts. The violence can be physical, psychological, emotional or environmental. This chapter, however, is concerned with a narrow field of violent activities — interpersonal violence committed by men against women, children and other men.