AIBU to ask you if you think there is a link between Brexit and Masculinity?

[DissertationDilemma]

I am in the planning stages of my MSc dissertation. I want to explore the links (if any) between white Masculinity and Brexit by interviewing white men who voted Brexit about their reasons and motivations for doing so.

I think the link between the two is quite culturally and socially apparent in certain forms of nationalism, the rise of UKIP, the development of a 'they're taking our' jobs type of anxious Masculinity. My supervisor hasn't said I can't do it, but when I raised the idea they weren't exactly encouraging. So AIBU to ask you if you think Masculinity played a role in why some white men voted for Brexit?

First of all- do you have the breakdown on the groups who voted for Brexit? Do you know it was more men than women, do you know it was more white men than black or Asian men, could there be any other factors (social class, age, region) that is more or equally important.

How are you defining masculinity though? Or measuring it?

You are also linking being white with being "masculine". I think you need to do some random sampling of male and female Brexit voters to prove or disprove the Brexit=Masculine premise.

Was there much of a difference between white working class men and women, OP?

Unless you’re very careful, it’ll come across as a bit sneery...

www.independent.co.uk/voices/classist-innuendo-about-educated-remain-voters-and-the-white-van-men-of-leave-has-revealed-something-a7091206.html%3famp

I have some info on demographic breakdown, across all age brackets a higher percentage of men voted Brexit than women, interestingly in the 18-24 age bracket significantly more men than women did. I don't have a breakdown on race/ethnicity yet, I'm still very much in the planning stages. What I've researched so far shows that class is a significant factor.

I'm conceptualising Masculinity/ies using various concepts, most likely work by RW Connell. My degree is very specifically in men's studies/Masculinities so I'm not too worried about that.

What data is available to support your hypothesis? Only unreliable exit poll data I assume.

I can’t see that there would be a link.

HRH
I believe so. Interesting article, that's definitely something I want to be very careful about.

Kursk
I wouldn't use the exit poll. I'll be using the ONS breakdown and some work by a professor at my uni this area.

That's as far as I've got in terms of resources. I just wanted to see if other people think it's viable or not.

I think you’d be basing it on an unpleasant tabloid stereotype and playing into some uncomfortable classism. I think it’d be hard to get accurate statistical data on “they’re taking our jobs” attitudes.

Something about transwoman crimes skewing reporting would be much more interesting, but your course is probably swimming in stuff like that

HRH

It would be qualitative, based on face to face interviews. It would be empirical evidence based, not based on large scale statistical data.

Or the switch from quite hardcore left wing idealism to quite hardcore right wing idealism in some young, educated, disenfranchised men. I’ve seen a fair bit of that lately, both personally and online (Reddit!).

Or interpretation of people like Jordan Peterson?

My rough plan would have been to interview a range of white men of all ages to build up a more balanced picture. I know a few who voted for Brexit for socialist anti capitalist reasons who would make for a more interesting data set. The only reason I'm specifying white men is that there are already so many variables and this is the most sensible one to restrict.

Disenfranchisement and political frustration among men is exactly what I'm looking for HRH

TBH I don’t know how you’d be able to integrate and get enough honest feedback from your target demographic to support a proper conclusion, without introducing any of your own views, especially as you’re probably educated, young, female and middle class. If I was your tutor I’d be dubious too.

DissertationDilemma

It would be qualitative, based on face to face interviews. It would be empirical evidence based, not based on large scale statistical data.

So essentially worthless?

HRH

That's precisely the problem. But I don't know what else to do really. My undergrad dissertation was on femininity and I wanted to move away from that.

Do you mean is there a link between voting Brexit and identifying with a particular version of masculinity?
It's all a little headed to thick white van man types are racist brexiteers isn't it?

I think RW Connell is a trans woman. Your idea might work out OP but you should also identify the reasons behind the female Brexit voters - are they the same or different from the male voters. If they are generally the same then No 'masculinity', anxious or otherwise, is not a factor. Unless female voters are exhibiting 'masculine' behaviour.

Those men are very much not white van man, taking our jobs types though, and they’d have voted to stay in the EU so I’m not sure of the Brexit links. One I know is very fond of pointing out that Jeremy Corbyn originally supported leaving the EU whilst most Tories wanted to stay.

Boney

Thats the whole point. It's meant to be about the experiences of individual men. It's part of an academic tradition of promoting individual political narratives. Research doesn't need to involve numbers in order to be worthwhile, I don't specifically mean my proposed idea, as I don't think I can make it work anyway, but there's lots of extremely valuable research out there that doesn't involve numerical data. Human subjectivitites aren't quantifiable. I wouldn't call an entire discipline of academia worthless but each to their own.

It might be too niche but the response to Jordan Peterson’s been really interesting I think. He has a HUGE following of disenfranchised young men looking for a new, positive interpretation of masculinity.

Hey, I just wonder are you pro or anti Brexit. If your are pro remain and study people from another gender, from another class who are pro Brexit isn‘t there the danger you other them?

HRH

Connell is a trans woman yes. Leaving the EU was traditionally a far left stance, it's interesting that's it's been turned on its head.

Would it be better if I was to interview equal numbers of men and women and cross analyse the reasons why they voted for Brexit to indentify common themes? My overarching question could be something like: 'Is gender a factor in Brexit?'

ConfusedWife

Possibly yes, that's definitely a factor to consider. I don't think it's dangerous per se, but undoubtedly awkward.

Generally qualitative research looks at the 'meaning' and 'lived experience' of individuals. So I think if you were to simply interview men about why they voted for Brexit (with carefully tailored questions), and then formulate some themes around the responses with recourse to a suitable theory then you have a dissertation.

I think utilising interviewing in order to prove there is a link between Brexit and masculinity is the wrong way to go about it. You'll potentially skew your data to fit your own pre-conceived narrative, and may come up with week conclusions as a consequence.

Your only justification to elaborate on the concept of there being a link between Brexit and masculinity would be if there is already literature and statistical evidence to support this argument. If you're the first one to make this link then it will be extremely difficult for you to defend your dissertation.