A new collection of papers discusses methodological approaches to the study of elites.
The publication is based on contributions from academic and civil society researchers at a recent workshop organised as part of an NCRM project.
The project, which was funded through NCRM’s Innovation Fora programme, was led by Dr Katie Higgins of the University of Oxford and Dr Sarah Kunz of the University of Essex.
The collection is organised around the three themes that structured the workshop: access and the availability of data; ethics and positionality; and future directions in research.
Challenges and opportunities
Across several dates in 2021 and 2022, Dr Higgins and Dr Kunz delivered online and in-person events for their Innovation Fora project.
Events included a discussion with artists Ruth Beale and Amy Feneck, of The Alternative School of Economics, and Professor Caroline Knowles, of Goldsmiths, University of London, who discussed the potential of art and creative methods for studying elites. Watch a video of the discussion.
In another event, 30 academic and civil society researchers of elites met for two days in London to discuss methodological approaches to the study of elites, share knowledge and strategies, and build capacity in researching elites.
This produced the collection of papers, Studying elites: Challenges, opportunities & progressive potential, which was written by the event contributors and edited by Dr Higgins and Dr Kunz.