Working together men and women: the emergence of the questions and methodology

Through historical elements from the field of men studies, and on the basis of the researches the author has been carrying out for ten years, the arti cle examines the problematics and methodological framework that enable us t o carry out studies in mixed teams of women and men, while investigating th e androcentrism of sociology and sociologists themselves. In the first part, the often intricate processes through which profeminist research work has emerged in France are analysed. Then, looking at the freq uent asymmetry of the subjects treated by profeminist men and feminist (wom en) sociologists, and considering the current issues in the field under con struction of social relations between men and women, the article proposes a discussion on methodology. More accurately, through the example of a recen t study on partner-swapping, the author, who claims antisexist principles, explains the concrete difficulties he had in fieldwork to break with androc entrism, and to accept, validate and eventually integrate the experiences a nd critical analyses of his feminist women colleagues. In conclusion, the article examines the methodological tools and principles that would enable us to set up debates taking into account the problematic s of social relations between women and men in research teams.