Lehrinhalte
Course Outline
A. The study of extremism
Class 1. Introduction to terrorism, political violence and violent extremism
Class 2. Theories of extremism: accounting for political violence
Class 3. Engagement & disengagement: radicalization and EXIT processes
B. The practice of right-wing violence
Class 4. European right-wing violence: a (brief) historical overlook
Class 5. European right-wing violence today: ideologies, groups and attacks
Class 6. The online right-wing milieus: propaganda, recruitment and socialization
Class 7. Patters and differences in 21st Century European political violence
C. Prevention: the policy response
Class 8. The logic of Prevention: individual and community resilience to extremism
Class 9. Current counter-terrorism regimes for right wing extremism in Europe & beyond
Class 10. Prevention in practice: P/CVE projects applied to right-wing extremism
D. Student presentations
Classes 11 to 14. Student Presentations
The structure of the course will be as follows. First, we will examine current theories
regarding violent and non-violent extremism, recruitment and radicalization/disengagement.
Then, we will examine right-wing violence in Europe today, as well as online dynamics and
similarities to Jihadist violence. Finally, we shall take a look at the underpinnings of Prevention
theory, as well as evaluating Preventive practical projects aimed at right-wing extremism. The
last sessions are reserved for student presentations on a suggested topic related to the subject.
Voraussetzungen
Student Requirements
This Radicalization and Violent Extremism course is meant for students who would
like to develop their expertise on topics of violent extremism and counter-terrorism, with a
special focus on right-wing threats. Students with a background on Terrorism, Peace & War
Studies or Political Violence will be able to profit the most from this course, but it can also be
a good introduction into the subject for students with other backgrounds. The course
can also be adapted depending on the background of enrolled students.
In terms of student participation, students are expected to complete the required
readings and to actively participate in discussions. Students must also provide response papers
to the readings for all of the lecture sessions. In these pieces, students must put forward
questions highlighting issues that they found particularly interesting or challenging. These will
presented in class after the lecture segment, and discussed in group.
Students are also required to prepare and give a presentation in class, individually or
in groups (to be arranged) on a topic related to one of the provided prompts. These
presentations are mandatory and constitute a key communication skills exercise and an
opportunity to research after their individual interests. Additionally, and pending student
interest, a class debate could be programmed, the topic thereof to be agreed upon by the
students and the lecturer.
Official Course Description
Course Description
In the 2021 TSAT report, Europol identified right-wing extremism to be the fastest
growing internal security threat to the European Union. This wave of right-wing violence is
characterized by lone-wolf attacks and encompasses a broad spectrum of fringe groups with
various ideologies: white supremacists, incels (involuntary celibates), conspiracy theorists,
anti-government movements and others.
Overall, right-wing violence constitutes an important and growing threat to public
order and social harmony all over the world. In response to recent attacks, countries like
Australia, New Zealand and Germany, as well as international organizations like the United
Nations or the European Union, have decided to tackle right-wing extremism head on:
providing a working legal definition, training law enforcement, cooperating internationally
and, importantly, investing resources into preventive counter-terrorist measures.
Indeed, the last decade has seen a world-wide increase in the relevance of preventive
counter-terrorism measures, aiming to stop people before they engage in violence, rather than
punitive, punishing them legally after they do so. This is the case of Prevention and Countering
of Radicalization to Violent Extremism (PCVE), a relatively new policy field in the European
Union and beyond. It aims at preventing radicalization or reverting it (disengagement), via the
development of individual and community level skills, such as self-esteem, critical thinking
and inter-personal communication, which protect individuals from being recruited.
This Radicalization and Violent Extremism course will cover the latest theories
regarding radicalization to right wing extremism, chart the state of right-wing violence in
Europe, and finally outline the Preventive counter-terrorism measures adopted by many
countries. The design of this course takes a multi-disciplinary and European-centered
approach to the study of right-wing political violence. The assigned readings include scholarly
research, journalistic investigations and counter-terrorism provisions.
Zusätzliche Informationen
Inés Bolaños Somoano (European University Institute, Italy)
Email: ines.bolanos@eui.eu
Online-Angebote
moodle
Course Outline
A. The study of extremism
Class 1. Introduction to terrorism, political violence and violent extremism
Class 2. Theories of extremism: accounting for political violence
Class 3. Engagement & disengagement: radicalization and EXIT processes
B. The practice of right-wing violence
Class 4. European right-wing violence: a (brief) historical overlook
Class 5. European right-wing violence today: ideologies, groups and attacks
Class 6. The online right-wing milieus: propaganda, recruitment and socialization
Class 7. Patters and differences in 21st Century European political violence
C. Prevention: the policy response
Class 8. The logic of Prevention: individual and community resilience to extremism
Class 9. Current counter-terrorism regimes for right wing extremism in Europe & beyond
Class 10. Prevention in practice: P/CVE projects applied to right-wing extremism
D. Student presentations
Classes 11 to 14. Student Presentations
The structure of the course will be as follows. First, we will examine current theories
regarding violent and non-violent extremism, recruitment and radicalization/disengagement.
Then, we will examine right-wing violence in Europe today, as well as online dynamics and
similarities to Jihadist violence. Finally, we shall take a look at the underpinnings of Prevention
theory, as well as evaluating Preventive practical projects aimed at right-wing extremism. The
last sessions are reserved for student presentations on a suggested topic related to the subject.
Voraussetzungen
Student Requirements
This Radicalization and Violent Extremism course is meant for students who would
like to develop their expertise on topics of violent extremism and counter-terrorism, with a
special focus on right-wing threats. Students with a background on Terrorism, Peace & War
Studies or Political Violence will be able to profit the most from this course, but it can also be
a good introduction into the subject for students with other backgrounds. The course
can also be adapted depending on the background of enrolled students.
In terms of student participation, students are expected to complete the required
readings and to actively participate in discussions. Students must also provide response papers
to the readings for all of the lecture sessions. In these pieces, students must put forward
questions highlighting issues that they found particularly interesting or challenging. These will
presented in class after the lecture segment, and discussed in group.
Students are also required to prepare and give a presentation in class, individually or
in groups (to be arranged) on a topic related to one of the provided prompts. These
presentations are mandatory and constitute a key communication skills exercise and an
opportunity to research after their individual interests. Additionally, and pending student
interest, a class debate could be programmed, the topic thereof to be agreed upon by the
students and the lecturer.
Official Course Description
Course Description
In the 2021 TSAT report, Europol identified right-wing extremism to be the fastest
growing internal security threat to the European Union. This wave of right-wing violence is
characterized by lone-wolf attacks and encompasses a broad spectrum of fringe groups with
various ideologies: white supremacists, incels (involuntary celibates), conspiracy theorists,
anti-government movements and others.
Overall, right-wing violence constitutes an important and growing threat to public
order and social harmony all over the world. In response to recent attacks, countries like
Australia, New Zealand and Germany, as well as international organizations like the United
Nations or the European Union, have decided to tackle right-wing extremism head on:
providing a working legal definition, training law enforcement, cooperating internationally
and, importantly, investing resources into preventive counter-terrorist measures.
Indeed, the last decade has seen a world-wide increase in the relevance of preventive
counter-terrorism measures, aiming to stop people before they engage in violence, rather than
punitive, punishing them legally after they do so. This is the case of Prevention and Countering
of Radicalization to Violent Extremism (PCVE), a relatively new policy field in the European
Union and beyond. It aims at preventing radicalization or reverting it (disengagement), via the
development of individual and community level skills, such as self-esteem, critical thinking
and inter-personal communication, which protect individuals from being recruited.
This Radicalization and Violent Extremism course will cover the latest theories
regarding radicalization to right wing extremism, chart the state of right-wing violence in
Europe, and finally outline the Preventive counter-terrorism measures adopted by many
countries. The design of this course takes a multi-disciplinary and European-centered
approach to the study of right-wing political violence. The assigned readings include scholarly
research, journalistic investigations and counter-terrorism provisions.
Zusätzliche Informationen
Inés Bolaños Somoano (European University Institute, Italy)
Email: ines.bolanos@eui.eu
Online-Angebote
moodle
- Lehrende: Inès Bolaños Somoano
- Lehrende: Jens Steffek
Semester: WT 2022/23