Norah Vincent - Photograph care of Todd Selby
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In a HardTalk Extra interview screened on 21st April, Patrick O'Connell spoke to American journalist Norah Vincent about her social experiment, which took over her life for over a year, and led her to a nervous breakdown.
American journalist Norah Vincent has been described as a "spy in the gender wars".
In order to investigate how the other half live, she disguised herself as a man for eighteen months.
Dressed up as her alter-ego "Ned", she signed up to a working class bowling league, infiltrated a monastery and joined a male therapy group.
She even dated a string of women before revealing her true identity.
She tells Patrick O'Connell what she learned about men - but also the uncomfortable insights she gained into
her own sex.
HARDtalk Extra can be seen on BBC World at 0330 GMT, 0830 GMT, 1530 GMT, 1830 GMT, 2330 GMT.