“This Is Another Personal Question':Research Interviews and Discussing Sensitive Issues withMen with Life-Limiting Conditions

摘要

Undertaking research interviews with men can be challenging, partly because ofthe perceived threat to their masculinity. It has been assumed that these challengesare amplified when discussion includes topics of a sensitive nature. Drawing on thetools of Conversation Analysis, this article examines how the sensitive nature ofinterview questions may be co-constructed and negotiated by interviewers andinterviewees alike. Data were drawn from a wider study exploring the social careneeds of men with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy-a life-limiting condition. Ouranalysis pinpoints three patterns of talk delivered by interviewers where thesensitivity of the topic is foregrounded, and illuminates the consequences of thesepatterns of talk.