Aprire le porte dorate. Limiti e strategie della ricerca sociologica tra i super-ricchi nelle Alpi del lusso

This essay examines the methodological, ethical, and positional challenges encountered during qualitative research on the super-rich and the processes of Alpine gentrification. Between 2020 and 2024, we conducted multi-sited ethnography in luxury resorts such as Courmayeur, Courchevel, and Gstaad, where housing demand from economic elites increased after Covid-19. Amid the climate crisis, natural resources such as clean air, water, and low-density environments have become «safe haven assets», driving what we define as Alpine and ecological gentrification. This process reproduces urban-like inequalities and promotes the privatization of common goods. The essay focuses on two main issues: first, elite responses to global crises that turn shared resources into exclusive commodities; second, the ethical and practical dilemmas of researching powerful, highly protected actors. It reflects on access strategies, power asymmetries, and the tension between adapting to elite norms and maintaining a critical stance, contributing to debates on «studying up».