Research of “Closed Communities”: Notes on My Own and Others' Experience

Abstract

In this article, the author analyses peculiarities of the fieldwork in so-called "closed communities”; those which differ significantly from the mainstream in their values and lifestyle and, as a result, try to prevent an influx of strangers. Literature on the methodology of closed community ethnography-as well as specific cases of research on this subject - are analyzed in detail. Nevertheless, the author mainly discusses her own practices in her research of Islamic fundamentalist communities in the North Caucasus, which can be considered "closed”. The article is an attempt of self-reflection based on a long experience of fieldwork. Problems such as the initial entry into "closed communities”, the impact of the researcher's positioning in the field on research outcomes, ethical aspects of fieldwork, and difficulties in the presentation of the findings about closed communities are addressed. Some other controversial methodological issues are also discussed, among them: whether a researcher should reflect the position of informants or his/her own ideas; if it is possible to remain unbiased; what to do with the distorted influence of a researcher on a field. Not all the instruments used by the author in the field are universal and can be applied to other contexts. However, specific approaches - such as the application the "ethnography-dialog", the use of multiple identities of the members of closed communities in cities, the widening of the scope of research (increasing the number of research objects) in cases where it is impossible to deepen it (analyzing the limited number of objects in greater detail), and the combination of personal contacts with social media - can be useful for other researchers of complicated fields.