The past decade has witnessed a remarkable explosion of knowledges across the academy, media and political discourse, generating a wide range of representations of men and masculinity. In this paper, we interrogate the failure for an accompanying understanding of the epistemological and methodological implications of the research process in this area of inquiry. More specifically, the paper is located within a particular arena: the schooling of masculinities. The first section critically explores how the ethnographic study, "The making of men" used identity politics as a methodological theme. The second section continues to draw upon this study by highlighting the emerging methodological tensions between identity politics and a politics of cultural difference. Finally, the third section builds upon this reflexive account, drawing upon our more recent work; it further explores the promise of post-structuralist methodology in relation to emerging paradigms for masculinity research.