Ethnographic and qualitative approaches to the study of the far right

Abstract

In recent years, academic research has focused extensively on understanding the rise of the far right across the globe. Yet, few scholars directly engage with far-right groups, and fewer encourage their research subjects to answer questions in their own terms – particularly within the field of political science. In her introduction to the Ethnographies of the Far Right (2007), Kathleen Blee notes that only recently scholars began to move away from the ‘externalist’ view of the far right and acknowledge the need to closer, anthropological angle. "To understand why far-right groups emerge", she writes, "in particular socioeconomic contexts thus requires analysis of individual and collective identities, the ways in which people come to see right-wing extremism as a means of exerting claims based on these identities, and the processes by which far-right groups recruit members and supporters" (2007: 120). This, however, presents unique challenges – methodological, ethical, intellectual and emotional. These challenges have been compared to walking a double tightrope (Blee, 2002; Damhuis & de Jonge, 2022). On the one hand, how do researchers present themselves to gain trust, even though their respondents might be distrustful of researchers? On the other hand, how do scholars (despite potentially disagreeing profoundly with their interlocutors) develop enough rapport so that respondents are willing to share their story? Should we, as scholars, refrain from voicing our political views during and/or after the interview? Or do we have an obligation to be transparent? How do we respond when interlocutors voice racist or misogynist comments? How do we relate to these "repulsive others" when at the same time, there may be some, apolitical issues we agree on? And how do we, as researchers, cope with the constant exposure to hateful content, conspiracy theories, or otherwise discriminatory views that advocate a future in which we would not like to live? These dilemmas ultimately boil down to the fact that our scholarly obligation to ‘do no harm’ to our research subjects (e.g. by ‘demonizing’ them) conflicts with the moral imperative to distance ourselves from the views propagated by far right actors. This panel aims at providing an intellectual space where scholars can think about these dilemmas and share their experiences of conducting ethnographic work in far-right milieus. We welcome papers that account for messiness, chaotic and difficult nature of fieldwork, where emotional, analytical and personal factors are sometimes at odds. We are especially interested in papers that make room for researchers’ positionality and that auto-ethnographically discuss the impact of gender, class, race and political views on our academic work and arguments involving the far right.

Title	Details
In the discomfort zone: Emotional challenges and reflexivity in field research on extremism	View Paper Details
In the Free Sweden: Place, and Belonging in a White Separatist Community	View Paper Details
Studying Far-Right and Anti-Gender Actors Across National Boundaries	View Paper Details
Unpleasant pleasantries: On whiteness, privilege, and "being implicated" in far-right ethnography	View Paper Details
Studying the far right: How can institutions better support their researchers?	View Paper Details