RT Article
T1 From Myths of Victimhood to Fantasies of Violence: How Far-Right Narratives of Imperilment Work
JF Terrorism and political violence
VO 34
IS 7
SP 1415
OP 1432
A1 Marcks, Holger
A2 Pawelz, Janina
LA English
YR 2022
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1816755370
AB Why is far-right rhetoric so dangerous? In recent years, scholars and policy makers alike have striven to unpack the black box of extremists’ online communication and the rise of far-right violence. Particularly the role of social media in spreading hate speech and fostering radicalization has caught a lot of attention; however, there has been little success in pinning down the drivers of violence. Drawing on the concept of dangerous speech, we take a step back from the violent effects of far-right online communication. Instead, we examine its logical functioning to illuminate the upstream processes that constitute hate and legitimize violence. More concretely, we study how far-right narratives employed on social media mobilize emotions that prepare for the acceptance or even use of violence. Analyzing the argumentative structures of two anti-immigration campaigns in Germany, we find a network of narratives where narratives of imperilment— supported by narratives of conspiracy and inequality—converge into a greater story of national threat and awakening. By constructing a situation of collective self-defense, violence becomes a logical option, even if violent action is not explicitly proposed. Counter-narrative efforts should thus not only focus on hate speech but also address the myths of victimhood, which are constitutive of (violent) palingenetic fantasies.
K1 dangerous speech
K1 Hate Speech
K1 Narratives
K1 Social Media
K1 Political Violence
K1 Radicalization
K1 Far right
DO 10.1080/09546553.2020.1788544