Madness, Maleness and Method

A common perception prevails in contemporary society that men don’t talk. Research such as that entitled ‘Death rather than Disclosure’ even suggests that taking one’s own life is preferred by men, than the disclosing of deep psychological distress. However a number of Men’s Groups in Dublin contradict this common and disturbing perception. These Men’s Groups contain individuals who have been affected by some of the most difficult psychological issues experienced in contemporary society. They come to the Men’s Groups in order to deal with the legacy of these issues and they do this by communicating their own personal experience in a deep, honest and forthright manner. So why does the stereotype of the non-communicating male prevail within mainstream psychological healthcare as well as society at large? This question forms the backdrop to the present research which will be conducted on these Men’s Groups. The research will directly investigate the dynamics and processes that operate within the Men’s Groups. However, research is never a neutral or value free enterprise with underlying assumptions and methods shown to be capable of influencing the outcomes or findings of supposedly objective scientific research. Thus this research adopts an Inclusive Research philosophy whereby the entire Men’s Group participants will choose the research question and methodology and will, in large part, conduct the research