Two women researching (male) ‘gangsters’ in Newlands East

In the chapter, Two women researching (male) ‘gangsters’ in Newlands East, One Selohilwe and Subashini Govender interpret research interviews not as simple means or instruments for eliciting information but as social encounters in which relations are forged and identities performed. They focus on Carl, an ex-‘gangster’, examining not only what he said about being a gangster, but, also, the kinds of relations he established with them, the female student interviewers. In a group interview, Subashini and One were surprised at how normal these ‘guys’ were, but they also felt ‘uncomfortable’ because much of the men’s conversation revolved around women as sex objects. This collective performance of a particular kind of masculinity contributed to the sense of solidarity in the group, but made them (as women) feel marginalised and excluded.

Reference:
Govender, Subashini, and Selohilwe, One. 'Two women researching (male) ‘gangsters’ in Newlands East', in Rob Pattman and Sultan Khan (Eds.), Undressing Durban (Durban: Madiba Press, 2007), pp. 279-290.