Categories: uncategorized
Date: 21 October 2006 11:06:06
Been reading Self-Made Man by Norah Vincent on the train at the moment in my attempt to snatch bits of me time, reading.
It's a facinating book, on a whole host of levels, written by a beautiful woman who took on the persona of a geeky bloke in order to research the book. It's an excellent read in itself - being pretty much a set of gritty, short stories in terms of the places she entered as Ned (the male persona). She becomes a member of a bowling club, frequents strip joints, explores internet dating and singles bars, joins a monastery for a few weeks, and participates in a mens group. All facinating to read about in the same way as reality tv is to view, (i.e. disturbing and compelling in equal manner).
Looking at it from a more intellectual level it becomes a moving exploration of gender, sexuality and in places class.The writer produces a series of snapshots which cannot in themselves be turned into generalisations but rather which may be used as evidence for or against the validity of other grander theories and commonly held presumptions. I think that the sub-theme of sexuality is as interesting as that of gender if not more so because she is a dyke (who constantly asserts she is not transexual) who transforms into a straight male for the purposes of the research and so becomes very reflective upon the way sexuality is recieved by others and portrayed by the individual.
Finally as a sociology teacher this study provides excellent new material. For years we have been hamstrung into using The Tearoom Trade and A Glasgow Gang as examples for covert participant observation research, or turning to examples from the tv because in an age of ethics committees no accademic research establishment would allow this type of participant research to occur. As the writer acknowledges this research involved deception and led her, for a few days, into a mental hospital because as one psychiatrist put it "you would have to be crazy for this type of research not to lead to a breakdown". This book is memorable and looks like it will finally enable teachers like me to move on from our yearly venture into Laud Humphries world and use a contempory source to illustrate the problems involved in this type of research.
So generally I'd say a book worth reading, but if you happen to have anything to do with studying or teaching research methods I'd say it is a must read.