Du mensonge par omission à l’enquête par immersion. Une étude au sein d’un camp paramilitaire

From lies by omission to immersive investigation. A study within a paramilitary camp. Based on an immersive study conducted in a paramilitary camp for “youth” from working-class neighbourhoods, this article questions the ambiguous status of ethnographers in their fieldwork. The author revisits the circumstances that led her to be perceived, in a somewhat unplanned manner, as a full member of the supervisory team rather than as an observing sociologist. By highlighting the dilemmas created by this position and its heuristic contributions, the article raises the tensions that exist between ethical and scientific requirements. It demonstrates that the immersion resulting from the ambiguity of the researcher’s status allowed for a deeper understanding of the subject of study, despite the emotional and methodological difficulties caused by the omission of some of her scientific objectives and political views.