Description
How does ethnography enhance our understanding of democratic spaces within International Organizations (IOs)? Why is it important for International Relations (IR) scholars to address current disciplinary challenges by exploring ethnography in IOs? This paper argues that ethnography offers essential insights into the democratic spaces of International Organizations (IOs), specifically illuminating how civil society groups, particularly transnational religious networks, navigate and impact multilateral governance. Focusing on the Organization of American States (OAS), this study reveals the strategies and motivations of religious coalitions as they engage with critical human rights issues. On the one side, conservative religious groups leverage media, performances, and rallies to challenge progressive agendas, while on the other, alternative religious alliances form strategic collaborations with feminist and LGBTIQ+ groups to advocate and lobby for inclusive policies. This analysis underscores the methodological importance of ethnography in International Relations (IR), as it captures the nuanced dynamics and lived experiences of religious actors within these democratic spaces. The author’s own positionality—as both an insider and outsider—enriches the study, based on in-depth ethnographic research conducted at official and non-official meetings of the OAS such as the Summit of the Americas (June 2022) in Los Angeles, CA, the 52nd OAS General Assembly in Lima, Peru (October 2022), the 53rd OAS General Assembly in Washington DC (June 2023), and two regional meetings of the studied coalitions in Argentina and Uruguay. This research advances an understanding of how ethnographic approaches can confront pressing challenges in IR by uncovering the complex interactions shaping IO governance.
