Why the “Hoax†Paper of Baldwin (2018) Should Be Reinstated

Geoff G. Cole

Sociological Methods & Research, 2021, vol. 50, issue 4, 1895-1915

Abstract: In 2018, a peer-reviewed article was published under the name of Richard Baldwin in which the author presented a critique of fat exclusion and advocated “fat bodybuilding†as a sport. Some months later, it became apparent that the article was intended as a hoax written to raise awareness to, or “expose†, a certain ideology promoted by some academics. As a result, the editors retracted the article. Using the principles of methodological behaviorism , and other hoax or hoax-like articles, I will argue that the thoughts and opinions held by any author are not important to the argument they present. I will also argue that this form of reflexive ethnography is too problematic to serve as a method of enquiry. I will therefore conclude that the Baldwin article should be reinstated.

Keywords: cultural studies; hoax papers; grievance studies; critical theory; reflexive ethnography (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:somere:v:50:y:2021:i:4:p:1895-1915

DOI: 10.1177/0049124120914951

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