The discourse of the non-method

Abstract

The article proposes a reflection on the methodological dimensions of a research path initially devoted to the relationship between Islam and politics in Afghanistan, then in various regional contexts, and finally extended to the relationship between religion, politics and culture in the contemporary world. The author returns to his concrete, empirical and intuitive relationship with fieldwork, nourished by a culture of human and social sciences impregnated with anthropology and philosophy. The article first examines the modalities and limits of the interview and/or questionnaire survey based on the author’s seminal investigations in Afghanistan, arguing for a prolonged coexistence with the actors. It then examines the comparative and interpretive challenge that any change of case study represents for this immersive posture. The article then examines the methodological and ethical effects of surveys conducted in contexts of political violence. Finally, the relative value of quantitative and qualitative methods and the implications of this debate for the teaching of methods are discussed in light of research on religion.