The following is an email from Drew Murphy, a postgraduate researcher from Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT). He is conducting research on gay and bisexual men and male identity.
This research focuses on the experiences of Gay and Bi-Sexual men in Ireland developing an identity and sense of self whilst also managing dual masculine expectations; the stereotypes of men in general, and the often very different masculine stereotypes that are associated with the LGBTQ* community. Of particular interest in this study is the ways in which men build and maintain a ‘masculine’ identity using language.
Mr Murphy will conduct a series of one on one interviews with participants to explore their views on the topic. These interviews will consist of a range of broad questions that explore themes including the role masculinity plays in society as a whole, as a means of identity performance within the LGBTQ* community and how Gay and Bi-Sexual men construct an identity in modern Ireland.
These discussions will be recorded, transcribed and analysed to determine what themes arose through our conversation. The results of these will be presented in my final thesis. Audio recordings will be kept for a period of up to seven years on completion of this study, for use in possible publications. You may contact me after the interview if you would like to remove anything or add anything in. You will also have the option to get an electronic copy of my finished these to see exactly how your information has been used.
He has graciously asked us to share this information with you all. If you are interested in participating and Mr. Murphy has a significant response from Leitrim and the North-West we’d be happy to help organise a interview venue in Carrick-on-Shannon for both the one-on-one interview and for the follow-on focus group.
If you have any queries let us know… contact@8raysleitrim.com or lgbt.leitrim@gmail.com. Or contact Drew Murphy on email: Drew.Murphy@lit.ie
Sample Interview Questions
- What does masculinity mean to you?
- What do you think the ideal man is?
- How do you think that you fit in with expectations of masculinity?
- Do you think that there is a big difference between queer masculinities and heterosexual masculinities?
- Do you think that people talk about gay men and heterosexual men differently?
- In what ways to GBQ masculinities and heterosexual masculinities differ in your mind?
- Do you think that you can have more than one masculine identity, depending on the situation?
- How do you think masculinities work specifically within the LGBTQI community?
- Do you feel like you have to act differently when you’re in a group of heterosexual men/gay/bisexual men?
Supplementary Questions:
- Do you think that there are any specific masculine traits?
- Do you think that there is a common stereotype for gay and bisexual men?
- Are there any sort of social situations that make you feel uncomfortable or less comfortable in your identity? Examples?
- How do you approach these situations?
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