ABSTRACT
Studying extremism from a sociological or social anthropological perspective raises
certain dangers. This chapter discusses the issue of studying ‘dangerous’ groups by
focusing upon our research experiences whilst studying extremist groups in the United
States of America.1 Some of the dangers we mention are associated with the process of
fieldwork in general, such as negotiating access with participants, while others are
specific to the study of extremism or dangerous groups. In particular ethical issues are
raised when studying groups that hold threatening beliefs about other members of the
community and which may be engaged in illegal activities.
