Ultra activism has been studied from a very narrow angle, both theoretically and methodologically. Theoretically, while sociological perspectives have dominated ultra research, with a few contributions from other disciplines, the theoretical input of international relations (IR) scholars has been very limited, and no obvious IR schools of theory have been applied to this domain. In this sense, ULTRA-VIOLENCE has worked with critical theory to try to understand the intersection between different forms of violence and politically motivated violence, as well as the effects of securitisation in processes of radicalisation and engagement in violent social movements. In this sense, it analysed the criminalisation of ideologically motivated violence in Portugal, including extreme right violence (which has links to ultra violence), reflecting on the legal and non-legal reasonings behind prosecution practices and contributing to the international debate regarding the criminalisation of ideologically motivated violence.
Methodologically, the vast majority of ultra research focuses solely on traditional ethnographic observations and interviews regarding match-day experiences . Consequently, the existing literature on the ultra world has yet to satisfactorily examine the relationship between ultra activism within football and participation in social movements, violent and non-violent, outside of football. In this sense, ULTRA-VIOLENCE used digital methods to access hard-to-reach groups and information, which lead to the creation of a database of ultra activism on social media, which is now being used in a paper under-preparation. The researcher also developed creative methods that were only applied on an online workshop with children, who were asked to embroider what peace means to them, but will also be applied to ultras and their families in the near future.
This fellowship opened up great possibilities to meet and collaborate with influential scholars, practitioners, and policymakers in the field of peace and conflict studies in Portugal and abroad. Various trainings, meetings, conferences, and presentations in which the fellow was engaged in helped her secure a tenure position in the most prestigious University in Portugal – the University of Coimbra. Furthermore, the research and the field visits that she made during her fellowship have been vital in shaping up her future research agenda in the field of peace and conflict studies from a global perspective.
