Chapter 6 176 e.g., by making gender stereotypes explicit during focus group discussions, a mutual reinforcing effect can occur in which gender stereotypes are not only activated to ‘talk about’, but also become reinforced when participants ‘take on’ stereotypical roles that reproduce rather than deconstruct the gender biases researchers aim to address. When qualitative research results are then anecdotally reported without noticing this distinction in the social dynamics of the research context, researchers risk reproducing these gender biases as inevitabilities in patient experiences, rather than as social constructions within patient experiences. Consequently, researchers can, unconsciously, contribute to maintaining perceived gender norms through health research rather than reflecting critically on them. We consider substantial theoretical grounding in gender studies, strong listening and prompting skills of facilitators as key in supporting the investigation of gender as a social construct in health and illness experiences. Furthermore, including an instrument to measure how strongly participants associate themselves or internalise the gender dimensions under investigation, can support participatory workshop preparations.
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