Intersectionality and care ethics in researching the far right

Abstract

Close-up research on the far right comes with inherent challenges related to issues of power, justice, and ethics, which are often gendered and intersect with other axes of inequality, like race, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality, adding complexity to research. We approach these challenges from an ethics of care perspective, reflecting on how researchers can navigate ethical dilemmas related to the inherent relationality of research, contextual and situated decision-making, and emotions. Overall, this essay raises awareness of complex and intersectional dilemmas of care and power when researching far-right actors and distasteful populations in general.