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Paper short abstract:

This paper aims to discuss the ‘subjectivity v. positionality’ struggle when researching the far right. This is even clearer when the anti-far right movement strikes the far right event that we research. I wonder how prepared we are to be confronted for breaking political, affective and moral rules.

Paper long abstract:

During the last years, far right studies have been increasing. However, ethnography and close-up analysis are not commonly used. The difficulties of access, the very few scholars’ connections in these groups, or their hidden position in the public sphere are some possible explanations. Pilkington (2016: 13) controversially argues that this ethnographic emptiness is caused by the researchers’ desire to keep their hands clean. When progressive researchers perform an ethnography to study the far right, different internal and external problems, and controversies arise. Our subjectivity is confronted against our positionality within the field. How are we seen when we participate in far right events? How does our positionality vary and move depending on who is observing us? What moral rules are we prepared to break to successfully study the far right? How do we negotiate this rule-breaking with our ‘friends’ when we are ‘on the other side’ of the struggle? After one year of participating in different activities, rallies, and demonstrations made by the Spanish populist radical right party VOX, this contribution aims to discuss the struggle between my own subjectivity and my positionality as a scholar when researching the far right. This struggle became even more evident when the anti-far right movement struck the far right events or groups that I was researching. I wonder how prepared we, as progressive researchers, are to assume that ‘our friends’ might confront us because of breaking different political, affective, and moral rules.