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?

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

I'm not sure the phrase 'empirical evidence' means what you think it means. To get enough evidence to show a causal link between a specific concept of masculinity and voting for Brexit would be nigh on impossible because of the huge numbers of variables involved. Even if the link were incredibly strong (it isn't) you'd need huge amounts of data to overcome other factors.

What you are describing is gathering anecdotes to support your preconceptions.

People who actually want to investigate ideas from a neutral POV try to disprove their hypothesis. People who want to conduct ethnography of a particular groups start with an open mind.

What would be a worthwhile piece of research on roughly this topic? Or how can I make the ideas I've got better.

Start the other way around- with no preconceived conclusion. Ask men and women how they voted and why. Try to get a good spread of respondents. See what patterns emerge.

Recognise your bias and work bloody hard to eliminate it from your methodology.

Start the other way around- with no preconceived conclusion.

Yes. That is what I should have said instead of being sarcastic,

Nothing like a good old fashioned null hypothesis to inform research.