'He'll not talk to anyone': researching men on low incomes

This paper explores the difficulties of undertaking research with men living on low incomes. The literature shows that most social research undertaken with men has been based on groups of men from higher socioeconomic groups--predominantly from those in work, where access is less problematic than with those who are unemployed.A research project is used as an example to demonstrate the difficulties of accessing men from low socio-economic groups. It is more difficult to make contact with men in the privacy of the home, which is often perceived as the woman's domain. Women may consequently act as gatekeepers to men. A community development approach can overcome these difficulties, because the researcher is known within the community. Despite this, a female researcher working within the private domain of the home can still face problems in engaging men in discussion.