Dilemmas of the activist-researcher: Balancing militant ethnography, security culture, and reflexive ethics in Australia

Abstract

Ethnographic practice in contentious and high-risk spaces raises important ethical and methodological questions. When working with grassroots activists who actively avoid forms of surveillance, the boundary between consensual observation and potentially harmful documentation becomes difficult to discern. This article aims not only to identify the gaps in qualitative research methodologies for scholars working with grassroots activists, but also to think of practical ways in which researchers should mitigate concerns both for participants and themselves. Based on fieldwork in Australia, the author explores the ethical, methodological, and emotional dilemmas of conducting research with activists as a militant ethnographer. The article argues that activist-centred project designs must consider the challenges between the researcher's mandate to collect data and their responsibility to uphold security culture both in and outside activist spaces. Reflexive research ethics, further, should be a part of ongoing research engagement to address the emotional tensions overlooked in standardized ethical protocols.

Locating DIY in the digital shift: Exploring grassroots activist responses to COVID-19 in Indonesia and the Philippines

“…The data was collected for a broader PhD research project on DIY and gender in grassroots activist communities, including a focus on Australia. While methodology is not a central concern for this article, I have reflected on the challenges of conducting safe and ethical research with activists elsewhere (Imray Papineau, 2023).…”