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March 13, 2026Bulletin of Sociological Methodology/Bulletin de Méthodologie Sociologique0 citations

Methodological lessons from four decades of close-up research on racial extremism

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KBKathleen M. Blee

Key Points

  • This research examines the methodological challenges encountered in studying racial extremism over several decades.
  • Conducted close-up interviews and observational research on participants' experiences in extremist groups.
  • Focused on four distinct waves of white supremacy in the US from the 1920s to the 2020s.
  • Analyzed mistakes and issues that arose during the research process.
  • Identified significant methodological obstacles that affected research outcomes.
  • Documented both hindered progress and advancements in understanding racial extremism.
  • Provided potential solutions to improve future research methodologies.

Abstract

Abstract This article discusses methodological issues in my close-up interviewing and observational research on how participants joined, acted in, and broke away from racist groups in four waves of extremist white supremacism in the US: the 1920s Ku Klux Klan, the resurgence of racial extremism in the 1990s, and organized racism in the 2010s and 2020s. Rather than offer a smooth roadmap, it describes the mistakes and problems that hindered, and sometimes, advanced my research and some possible solutions.

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Cite This Study

Kathleen M. Blee (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69b3ac8102a1e69014cce3a5https://doi.org/10.1177/07591063261423905
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