Positionalities of elitist complicity: Building rapport and reducing asymmetries in interviewing the neoliberal right in Chile, Germany, and the UK

Abstract This article explores the ideological asymmetries that can arise between researchers and elite informants, based on our experiences interviewing neoliberal and far-right elites in Chile, the UK, and Germany. We examine how reflecting on the co-construction of positionalities between researcher and interviewee can help reduce these asymmetries, improve data credibility, and facilitate access to elite circles. Drawing on Bourdieu's idea of forms of capital, this article develops the concept of ‘positionalities of elitist complicity’, which focuses on how navigating our shared social positions can positively influence interactions. These co-constructed dynamics manifested themselves in three forms: academic hierarchies, heteropatriarchy, and Eurocentrism. Instead of passively accepting these dynamics, we identified and engaged with shared social positions. We accompanied this exercise with ongoing reflection on how common positionalities allowed us to build rapport while maintaining a crucial distance from the participants’ ideas. This article seeks to contribute to research on the ethical and methodological challenges of interviewing in politically polarised environments, particularly at a time when far-right ideas are on the rise globally.