Ethical and methodological insights: an interdisciplinary study of letters written by Jews interned in the Drancy camp during the Second World War

ABSTRACT This article examines the methodological and ethical challenges raised by an interdisciplinary study that investigates the functions of correspondence in contexts of wartime isolation, using as its paradigm the letters written by individuals interned as Jews in the Drancy camp during the Second World War, within the context of the Shoah. Bringing together psychology and contemporary history, the project seeks to illuminate the complex human issues related to a major historical and socio-political event – the Second World War. The article outlines a multi-stage qualitative methodology combining different levels of analysis. It demonstrates how engagement with such historically and emotionally charged archives requires a revision of conventional research and theoretical frameworks. Interdisciplinary dialogue is presented as a safeguard against over-interpretation and anachronistic readings. Finally, the article addresses the ethical tensions inherent in analysing intimate Shoah-related documents, underscoring the need for reflexivity, and the collective processing of emotional responses.