Edinburgh Napier University

  This case study reflects on research which explored the relationship between major mental illness and masculinity in the context of violent offending behavior. Studies which examine violence by the mentally disordered largely look to mental illness as an explanation, yet more recently research has given attention to other criminological factors when considering violent offending in this context. Masculinity is one theoretical framework which could contribute to our understandings here, given the wealth of literature which associates the construction and maintenance of a masculine identity with violent acts. My research uses a qualitative, life-history-focused interview approach to compare and contrast the experiences and violent offending histories of patients in a secure psychiatric hospital and prisoners in an adult male prison. I began the research with an awareness that ethics and access processes would be a significant barrier to overcome in carrying out the project. As the research went on, I became aware of just how central wider power dynamics and interactions were to projects of this nature, particularly given the focus on violence. This case study will highlight some of the ways in which institutional, interviewer, and interviewee power can shape qualitative research and some reflections on how this was managed in my project.