Sexual Harassment and Construction of Ethnographic Knowledge

Abstract

When I took up my post as Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Men’s Studies on January 1, 2021, I sought to implement the various ideas and ambitions that had led me to pursue the role. My own career in higher education began in 1992, which happened to be the same year this journal was founded by my predecessor, Dr. James Doyle. At that time, I had very limited knowledge about our interdisciplinary field, and relied on venues such as this one to become familiar with the vocabularies, theories, debates, questions, applications, and general contours of men’s and masculinities studies. The past 30 years have certainly been dynamic in this regard, as all these things have evolved into a robust constellation of theoretical and actionable knowledge, inquiry, and conversations. Likewise, as with other disciplines, there are professional values, ethical obligations, and normative conventions associated with our field that—while sometimes contested— provide for guidance on how we conduct our inquiry and applied work. When I teach or present about topics having to do with men and masculinities, I typically begin with what I call ethical housekeeping, taking a few moments to address some of the complexities and politically loaded elements associated with focusing time and attention on men and masculinities issues. It should be obvious—given that I am serving as JMS’ Editor-in-Chief—that I believe it is important to do so. Yet, I also recognize and choose to affirm through this practice that there is much unfinished business regarding the identities, statuses, and experiences of people who do not identify as men even as there remains such for those who do. I also believe that all our respective unfinished business items are inextricably linked, even as there is considerable variation in their forms, impacts, and implications depending on which issues, people, and contexts are involved. In any event, I have been thinking and engaging with