"Hanging out" with the boys: the female participant observer in a male-dominated group

The challenges faced by female researchers conducting fieldwork within male-dominated groups have been well documented. Specifically, it has often been considered that male researchers are more naturally suited to studying activities commonly thought of as male. However, throughout my time studying the urban exploration community in Saint Petersburg, Russia, I found my gender to be an asset: it allowed access I might otherwise not have been granted and to maintain my status within the group when the circumstances of my research changed. In this chapter, I discuss the benefits and challenges that arose throughout my time in the field.