Researching the Far Right: Theory, Method and Practice

In recent years, Europe and America have witnessed a resurgence of the far right in the form of both party electoral support and street level protest movements, as well as an increase in hate crimes. There has also been an increase in right-wing nationalist politics and party success in other parts of the world too, including India. This comes at a time when ‘extremism’ more broadly defined, but including the far right, is also very much on the agenda for the media, public, policy makers, activists and academics. While there has been an upsurge in empirical research on the far right and extremism, there has been a comparative dearth of detailed discussion in relation to the methodological, ethical, political, personal, practical and professional issues and challenges that arise from it. This collection directly addresses these issues. The authors analyse and reflect on the research process in this area with reference to topics such as methods, ethics, access, objectivity and impact. Offering contributions which address a range of subject disciplines and geographical regions, this book is essential reading for anyone conducting research into the far right.