Young People and the Far Right

ISBN-13: 9789811618130 / Angielski / Miękka / 2022

Pam Nilan

Opis

This book looks at how young people get attracted to the Far Right, especially young white men. We may never know why a young individual ends up there, yet two things are obvious. First, Far Right propaganda appeals to the fantasy imagination and to the emotions. Second, supporting the Far Right is a decision often made by digitally-networked 15-25 year olds looking for answers and wanting to express their anger. However, many later become aware of a yawning gulf between the ideal future they envisioned, and what happens in the here and now. Accounts of the Far Right often focus on terrorist events, plots or extreme acts of violence. However, the emphasis here is on rather ordinary young people and how they get involved in a social movement that promises adventure and belonging. The aim is to better understand how their hate practices are framed and channeled by the persuasive discourse of the Far Right.

Recenzje

"Understanding how far-right movements are managing to promulgate this exclusivist version of utopia is the central theme of this timely and accessible book. Nilan encourages the reader to move beyond individualist explanations of far-right youth radicalisation. ... She reminds us that there is a rich and enduring body of sociological work that can be bought to the topic of youth radicalisation to extremism. ... Nilan ... brings a much needed sociological perspective to youth studies of extreme political movements." (Debra Smith, Journal of Applied Youth Studies, Vol. 5 (3), 2022)

Spis treści

1 Youth and the Far Right.- 2 Online Discourse and Social Media.- 3 The Warrior Myth and Other Fantasies.- 4 Ultra-Nationalism: Imagining the Future.- 5 Entrances and Exits.

O autorze

Pam Nilan is Honorary Professor in the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation at Deakin University, and Conjoint Professor (Sociology) at the University of Newcastle. A youth sociologist, she has published on youth topics in Australia, Indonesia and Fiji. A recent broad-appeal book is Muslim Youth in the Diaspora (2019).

Blurb

‘In this brilliant book, Pam Nilan provides a transversal overview of key dimensions to understand Far Right appeal among young white men in the 21st century, from the gamification of hate to social media, from conspiracy theories and fantasy stories that re-enchant their world to the quest of belonging and agency.’

—Geoffrey Pleyers, F.R.S.–FNRS Professor of Sociology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium

‘“Let’s face it, mate, if we don’t do something about it right now, in 20 years we’re going to be forced to speak Arabic and under Sharia law.” The words of the homeless, white young man aged 21, who had never had a job, took me by surprise in 2017. They would not surprise me now. Nilan’s scholarly and engaging text has appraised me of the sense of “aggrieved entitlement” held by the “lost” white working class, youth in particular, who can become recast as the heroic defenders of a lost white utopia.’

—Professor Howard Williamson, CVO CBE FRSA FHEA, Professor of European Youth Policy, University of South Wales

This book looks at how young people get attracted to the Far Right, especially young white men. We may never know why a young individual ends up there, yet two things are obvious. First, Far Right propaganda appeals to the fantasy imagination and to the emotions. Second, supporting the Far Right is a decision often made by digitally-networked 15-25 year olds looking for answers and wanting to express their anger. However, many later become aware of a yawning gulf between the ideal future they envisioned, and what happens in the here and now. Accounts of the Far Right often focus on terrorist events, plots or extreme acts of violence. However, the emphasis here is on rather ordinary young people and how they get involved in a social movement that promises adventure and belonging. The aim is to better understand how their hate practices are framed and channeled by the persuasive discourse of the Far Right.