Covert Research

covert study explored fictive kinship, choreographed bravado, violence, and hypermasculinity in the subculture of bouncers. His study was of a purist type and involved no gatekeeping, key informants, or retrospective debriefing. His study challenged the popular demonization of bouncers. Katherine Frank’s cultural anthropological work, G-Strings and Sympathy (2002), which formed the basis of her on erotic dancing, includes 6 years’ intermittent work as a nude entertainer with five different strip clubs in the United States. Her covert first-hand insider experience, combined with interview data from regular patrons and dancers, covers male desire, sexual fantasy, and counterfeit intimacy. Her work has a landmark status within the field, particularly in providing the male consumer perspective.