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Far Right Movements and Social Research
Far Right Movements and Social Research
Wednesday, 13 July 2016: 09:00-10:30
Location: Hörsaal 26 (Main Building)
RC47 Social Classes and Social Movements (host committee) Language: English
The rise and spread of far-right, populist and nationalist movements in Europe and elsewhere in the world opened a new framework of interest for social movement studies. The study of the far right is mainly addressed by political science, focusing on parties and electoral trends. Very little research is instead led from the point of view of social movement studies. One explanation can be linked with the methodological issues: social movements researchers generally use qualitative techniques, such as participant observation, in-depth interviews and sociological interventions to study social movements, often creating a relation with activists based on mutual respect and common perspectives.
But how can this be possible with activists whose discourses are often racist-oriented, or whose initiatives are violent and disrespectful? Which methodological obstacles arise for research oriented towards analysing protest participation in far-right movements? And how do we overcome them?
The session welcomes empirical and theoretical contributions that deal with reflection on methodology in the study of movements – such as racist, populist of far-right organisations – with whose discourses and practises it is difficult to empathize.
Session Organizers:
Chair: