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Abstract

International organizations (IOs) are a classic object of study in International Relations. However, if their status – tools in the hands of states, independant actors on the international scene, institutions with relative autonomy – is the subject of much debate, the research methods relevant to analyze them are rarely discussed. If participant observation is actually implemented to study IOs from within, little is said on the contributions of an ethnographic approach – why to use it – on the one hand, and on techniques to apply it – how to use it – on the other one. This article aims to fill this gap. It first shows that the practice of immersion within an IO can reveal the internal processes of agenda setting and of policy making that shape the international scene and define what “global” means. Based on our experience as a participant observer within the United Nations, it then provides the steps and “tricks” to open the black box of IOs. This article hence contributes to boader reflections on the relevance of participant observation in the study of global issues.

Keywords

• Ethnographie
• méthodologie
• observation participante
• ONU
• organisation internationale