Genesis and Structure of the Alternative Field. Conspiracy Theories, Alternative Medicine, and the Fight against the Mainstream

Abstract

Conspiracy theories and their relation to religion are widely discussed. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of social fields, this article proposes the concept of an alternative field where various actors with alternative views converge. By examining a conspiracy theory blog with links to alternative medicine and alternative religious views, the paper reconstructs how knowledge is legitimated and produced within this alternative field. The concept provides a distinct analytical approach to shed light on the intersection of religion and conspiracy theories by focusing on actors and their knowledge production, thus complementing existing research approaches.