2023
‘What’s the Meaning of a Life Without Scars’: Fight Club Culture and the Euro-American Far Right
Time: February 20, 2023
Christopher E. Forth, University of Kansas, examines the impact of Fight Club on far-right political culture in Europe and America, highlighting its appeal to aggressive masculinism. He discusses how this "fight club culture" is used by groups like Generation Identity to advocate for the preservation of white European culture.
Foreign Fighters Through the Ages
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Discussion with Associate professor Judith Keene (University of Sydney) and Associate professor David Malet (American University Washington DC) on the historical and complex nature of foreign fighters, beyond the recent focus on ISIS. The event will explore their ideological, political, and social dimensions, offering insights into war, terrorism, and international history.
“The Song Remains the Same?”: A Comparative Study of Foreign Fighters of Yesterday and Today.
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The workshop will address the broader phenomenon of foreign fighters beyond Islamic contexts, highlighted by their involvement in conflicts like the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It aims to coordinate research and bring together leading scholars and experts on foreign fighters worldwide.
Workshop: New Directions in Antisemitism Research
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The workshop will focus on a set of methodological and empirical topics, including online antisemitism, survey experiments, the role of transnational networks, the problem of "Israel-derived antisemitism", and Jews' exposure to antisemitism.
Developing the Evidence Base for Putative Risk Factors for Violent Extremist Outcomes
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Hosted together with the Consortium for Research on Terrorism, this lecture examines advancements in risk assessment for radicalization and terrorism. It highlights the evolving complexity of risk factors and their diverse roles across different extremist ideologies and outcomes.
Interdisciplinarity & Terrorism Studies
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This seminar, led by Professor Paul Gill from University College London, explores the interdisciplinary and methodological approaches of his counter-terrorism research group.
Global and Transnational Flows of Islamophobia
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This conference, marking the conclusion of the INTERSECT research project, explores global and transnational dimensions of Islamophobia, highlighting its spread beyond the West to places like Asia. In collaboration with MF Norwegian School of Theology and the Center for Research on Extremism, the event aims to assess current research and guide future studies on the topic.
PhD Workshop: Studying Online Violent Extremism: Methods, Personal Safety, and Ethics.
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Guided by GIFCT’s mission to counter online extremism, this two-day workshop aims to provide PhD students with foundation skills for studying online extremist groups. The workshop will cover three core themes: online methodologies, personal safety and wellbeing, and research ethics.
Master's Seminar on Extremism
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The master's seminar is for students who are writing or planning to write about extremism.
2022
The Non-Party Sector of the Far-Right
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This two-day conference aims to explore, in a workshop format, various aspects of the far-right outside of political parties.
Summer School on Concepts and Methods for Research on Far-Right Politics
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The third Summer School on Concepts and Methods for Research on Far-Right Politics will take place at Science Po.
2021
Masterseminar
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Master's students working on C-REX-related topics are invited to a seminar, open to those in social sciences, humanities, and legal studies. The seminar will be led by Øyvind Bugge Solheim and Cathrine Thorleifsson.
Workshop: Moderate right-wing populism to right-wing extremism as a gendered phenomenon
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C-REX and the Research Group on Populism, Anti-gender and Democracy at the University of Stavanger co-organise an online workshop on gender dimensions of right-wing populism and extremism.
INTERSECT webinar: Social psychological perspectives on Islamophobia: Antecedents, consequences, and ways to reduce it
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This webinar series is part of the INTERSECT project on intersecting flows of Islamophobia, led by MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society and C-REX. In this talk, Jonas Kunst will offer social-psychological perspectives on Islamophobia.
Master's Lunch on Gender and the Far Right
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C-REX invites students to a Master's Lunch for those writing a thesis on or studying right-wing extremism (in Norwegian).
INTERSECT webinar: Memeifying fascism: on chan digital culture and the production of intersecting antisemitism and Islamophobia
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This webinar series is part of the INTERSECT project on intersecting flows of Islamophobia, led by MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society and C-REX. In this talk, Cathrine Thorleifsson will examine how the anonymous users of the imageboard site 4chan /pol/ produce and promote fascist violent imaginaries online.
INTERSECT webinar: The scientification of Islamophobia: the case of WikiIslam
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This webinar series is part of the INTERSECT project on intersecting flows of Islamophobia, led by MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society and C-REX. In this talk, Göran Larsson and Torkel Brekke will investigate how the website WikiIslam, along with its global online interactions, plays a role in the scientification of Islamophobia by embedding anti-Islamic prejudice in seemingly scientific discourse.
The Challenges of Researching Extremism Today
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Why is it so difficult to do conclusive research on extremism? How is studying far-right extremism different from Islamist and other types of extremism? What are the ethical dilemmas when working with young people in milieus that are frequently targeted by stereotypes and racism? And what are the dangers researchers face when conducting fieldwork?
This workshop - organised under the auspices of the H2020 DRIVE project - brings together scholars, practitioners, professionals, and community groups who work on understanding radicalisation to address these questions.
Summer School: Concepts and Methods for Research on Far-Right Politics
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This second instalment of the Summer School organised by C-REX and the ECPR Standing Group on Extremism and Democracy will address young scholars and students, focusing on the study of the far right in its radical, populist, and extremist manifestations. It aims to bolster and promote knowledge on the theoretical, empirical, and methodological underpinnings of contemporary far-right politics.
Virtual Conference: 10th anniversary of Oslo/Utøya and 20th Anniversary of 9/11 - Long-term implications and effects
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C-REX and CEP have organized an online public event to commemorate the Oslo/Utøya and 9/11 attacks, analyze their long-term impact, and assess the current terrorist landscape emanating from the extreme right-wing terrorist milieu as well as the Islamist terrorist scene. The recordings of the webinar are available below.
Ten Year Anniversary of the 2011 Norway Attacks: Reflections on the Past and Contemporary Right-Wing Extremism Landscape
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Ten years since the 22 July 2011 attacks in Norway, the right-wing extremism landscape has significantly shifted. This Live Briefing, hosted by ICCT in collaboration with C-REX and the Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab (PERIL), will feature a roundtable discussion by leading academic and policy experts on right-wing extremism.
Seminar on gender and extremism
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In this seminar, Klaus Theweleit, Eviane Leidig and Iris Beau Segers will present some of their recent work on the topic of gender and extremism.
2020
Workshop: Explaining Restraint: Why some “militants” do not do as much violence as they could
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This workshop is concerned with processes of restraint at micro-, meso- and macro-levels, and will be published as a special issue.
The Vicious Cycle of Islamophobia and Radicalisation
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Tahir Abbas from Leiden University examines his new book on how Islamophobia drives radicalization in both jihadis and the far right. The event addresses its impact locally and globally amid a shift to the political right.
The Non-Party Sector of the Far Right
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This workshop gathers scholars to explore the under-researched non-party sector of the far right, including social movements, intellectual clubs, and online communities. The event aims to understand their characteristics and relationship with far-right political parties.
2nd Summer School on Concepts and Methods for Research on Far-Right Politics
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The Summer School addresses young scholars and students focusing on the study of the far right in its populist, radical, and extremist manifestations. Its aim is to bolster and promote knowledge on the theoretical, empirical, and methodological underpinnings of contemporary far-right politics.
How can we explain the different patterns of globalization in antisemitism and Islamophobia?
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In this INTERSECT webinar, Torkel Brekke explores why Islamophobia has a broader global reach than antisemitism, attributing it to Islamophobia's diverse cultural models. He contrasts this with antisemitism’s Christian roots and proposes using cultural models to understand their distinct paths of globalization.
Webinar - Researching the far right: Studying the peripheries
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Studying the peripheries: Iconography and embodiment in far right youth cultures with Cynthia Miller-Idriss (PERIL, American University)
Webinar - Researching the far right: Methodology matters - researching the far right
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Methodology matters: researching the far right with Amy Fisher-Smith (University of Dallas) and Charles Sullivan (University of Dallas).
INTERSECT webinar: Flows of Islamophobia in Transatlantic Far Right Digital Publics
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Bharath Ganesh from the University of Groningen examines how Islamophobic discourse underpins far-right digital communications across North America and Western Europe.
Webinar - Researching the far right: Challenges and opportunities of social media research
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Challenges and opportunities of social media research with Jasper Muis (University of Amsterdam) and Ofra Klein (EUI)
Webinar - Researching the far right: Methods for mapping far right violence
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Methods for mapping far right violence with Anders R. Jupskås.
2019
PhD workshop on qualitative research on the far right
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PhD workshop at the Centre Universitaire de Norvège à Paris, CUNP.
Europe and Nationalism towards the 2019 European Elections
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The event includes an introduction by Christopher Lord and a panel discussion with experts, focusing on the impact of the 2019 EU elections and the potential rise of far-right parties in Europe.
The internal brakes on violent escalation: Understanding processes of non- or limited-escalation
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In collaboration Consortium for Research on Terrorism and International Crime, C-REX invites to a lecture with Dr. Joel Busher from Coventry University, on the internal brakes of violent escalation
NEXT Seminar
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This seminar is for members of the Network for young researchers on extremism - NEXT.
STR 2019:The data revolution in terrorism research: implications for theory and practice
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The 13th Annual Conference for Society for Terrorism Research. The purpose of the conference is to bring together academics from around the world to present and discuss cutting-edge research on terrorism.
Bigotry and hate: Local and Global Perspectives
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The conference "Bigotry and Hate: Local and Global Perspectives" aims to examine the global rise of bigotry and hate, emphasizing local manifestations and interventions. The event will focus on Norway on the first day and address global perspectives on the second day.
"Bigotry and hate: Local and Global Perspectives" is a conference hosted by The Norwegian Center for Holocaust and Minority Studies (HL-senteret) in co-operation with Center for Research on Extremism at the University in Oslo as part of our membership in Global Consortium on Bigotry and Hate.
2018
Of Virgins and Martyrs. Women and Sexuality in Global Conflict
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Professor David Jacobson explores how women's bodies become a battleground in global debates on veiling, education, and protests like "SlutWalk."
Street Capital and Jihadi Subcultures: Recruitment and Resistance
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Professor Sveinung Sandberg, Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law, presents his research in his project Radicalization and Resistance.
Brexit- causes and effects
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In June 2016, the United Kingdom shocked the world by voting to leave the European Union. In this talk, Professor Matthew J. Goodwin will set out the key findings of his book, Brexit: Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union, published by Cambridge University Press.
Right-wing Extremism in Denmark – Development, radicalization and comparative perspectives
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Researcher and lecturer Chris Holmsted Larsen, Ph.D., Department of Communication and Arts, Roskilde University, Denmark, presents the results from his latest report on the extreme right in Denmark.
'Fascism as the self-destruction of civilization (and how the dialectic of enlightenment might prevent it)
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Marcel Stoetzler, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Bangor University, UK, analyzes Horkheimer and Adorno's "Dialectic of Enlightenment," focusing on its relevance to today.
Women and Girls in Violent Extremism as Perpetrators, Survivors and Peacebuilders
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This workshop, hosted by ICAN, UNDP, PRIO, and C-REX, focuses on the gendered aspects of rehabilitation and reintegration for women involved in violent extremism. It brings together key stakeholders to share insights and recommendations for addressing female returnees and inform future policies and interventions.
Nordic Symbols and the Mainstreaming of Extremism
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Professor Cynthia Miller-Idriss, American University Washington, presents how extremism is going mainstream through clothing brands laced with racist and nationalist symbols.
Lectures on Gender and Extremism
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Professor Kathleen Blee and professor Michael Kimmel lectures on the relations between Gender and Extremism.
Workshop on Gender and Extremism
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This two-day workshop aims to bring together distinguished scholars from different scholarly fields to examine the various intersections of gender in extremist movements. Our aim is to better understand how notions of gender identities, values, norms and behaviours frame views and ideologies. We aim to examine the roles of men and women alike, and the extent to which gendered norms and values become an axis for differing political identifications, and outcomes.
PhD Summer School on Concepts and Methods for Research on Far-Right Politics
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PhD summer school organised by the ECPR Standing Group on Extremism & Democracy, the Centre for Research on Extremism (C-REX), and the Centre on Social Movement Studies (COSMOS).
Why populism?
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Professor Rogers Brubaker from UCLA will explore the contemporary populist wave across Europe and the Atlantic, including Brexit and the rise of authoritarianism in Hungary and Poland. The lecture will examine whether these diverse events form a cohesive populist movement and their key drivers.
The rise of a transnational radical right in Europe
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Professor Duncan McDonnell examines the formation of the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) group, which unites populist radical right parties in the European Parliament, including France's Front National and Italy's Northern League. He discusses why these parties have joined forces, the future of the transnational radical right, and the implications for European democracy.
NEXT Seminar: Methods, data and ethics: limitations and opportunities in extremism research
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This seminar is for members of the Network for young researchers on extremism - NEXT.
Nordic conference on violent extremism: Theory and Practice - 2018
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Welcome to the 2nd Nordic Conference on research on violent extremism.
The aim of the conference is to present empirical and theoretical research on violent extremism which 1) is carried out by researchers based in one of the Nordic countries, or 2) addresses violent extremism in one or more Nordic countries.
2017
Lessons from the Field: Studying US Far Right Extremism
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Dr. Pete Simi, Chapman University, presents lessons from the field of long-term ethnographic fieldwork with far right extremists. Drawing from two decades of long-term ethnographic fieldwork and intensive interviewing with current and former far right extremists, the presentation will discuss what can be learned from this type of research as well as some of the ethical and practical difficulties associated with conducting fieldwork in this area of study. More specifically, Simi describes how an infrastructure of social-spatial contexts help sustain an extremist collective Identity.
Contemporary right-wing vigilantism and paramilitarism in the Czech Republic in the European context
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Dr. Miroslav Mareš, Masaryk University, explores the rise of right-wing vigilant and paramilitary groups in the Czech Republic, examining their historical development and the impact of key issues such as the "Roma issue," the Ukrainian crisis, and the migration crisis. Drawing comparisons with trends in Central Europe and broader Europe, Mareš highlights how these factors have contributed to the growth of vigilantism and paramilitarism. His research, focused on political extremism, terrorism, and security policy, has been published in works like Extremismus – Theorien – Konzepte – Formen and Challenges to Democracies in East Central Europe.
Addicted to Hate: Role Residual among Former White Supremacists
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Dr. Pete Simi explores how leaving deeply ingrained social roles, like those within white supremacist groups, mirrors the struggle of addiction. Using life history interviews with 89 former US white supremacists, he examines how role-related beliefs persist despite the desire to change. He introduces the concept of a “hate habitus,” a set of practices reinforcing racial superiority. Simi discusses the lingering effects of disengagement, comparing them to addiction, and the implications for understanding personal transformation and theories of the self.
Free riders, weak links and toxic members: Explaining the failure of the English Defence League
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Dr. Elizabeth Morrow, University of Birmingham, presents her research on the English Defence League
Antisemitic Violence in Europe, 2005-2015: What Do We Know About Vulnerability and Perpetrators? (in Norwegian)
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Johannes Due Enstad explores antisemitic violence in Europe between 2005 and 2015, examining the frequency and development of these incidents, the vulnerability of Jewish communities, and the profiles of the perpetrators. Drawing on incident reports, surveys, and relevant studies from seven European countries (France, the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Russia), he provides preliminary findings on these issues. Enstad’s research highlights the gaps in current knowledge, underscoring the need for more precise data to inform effective prevention and intervention strategies.
What Unites the Electorally Successful Populist Radical Right in Western Europe 2.0
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Using data collected in the first immigration module of the ESS in 2002/3, Elisabeth Ivarsflaten analyzed which voter grievances electorally successful populist radical right in Western Europe most effectively mobilized.
Lone Actor Behaviour and Implications for Interventions
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Based upon a unique dataset of 111 lone actors that catalogues the life span of the individual’s development, Dr. Paul Gills talk contains important insights into what an analysis of their behaviours might imply for practical interventions aimed at disrupting or even preventing attacks. It adopts insights and methodologies from criminology and forensic psychology to provide a holistic analysis of the behavioural underpinnings of lone-actor terrorism.
Normalization of right-wing extremism?
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Professor Oliver Decker, University of Leipzig, presents the findings from a recent German "Mitte" survey from 2016.
The Great White Hope: Donald Trump, Race and the Crisis of American Democracy
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Christopher Parker from the University of Washington presents his ongoing book project, which explores the origins of support for Trump among white Americans and rejection among people of color.
How in the f#&k did we get here: the Rise of #45
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In this talk, Parker will discuss the precursors to each movement, and discuss the demographic similarities of each. The talk culminates with a discussion of how we arrived at Trump.
Local and global Islamophobias - Workshop in Oslo
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Chaired by Torkel Brekke and Iselin Frydenlund, this workshop examines Islamophobia across cultural contexts, focusing on common themes, local variations, and links between local and global discourses, while identifying new questions and methods for future research.
Why Shari'a Matters in the Context of American Islamophobia post 9/11
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Kathleen Moore, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Santa Barbara, examines how religion and politics shape 'Muslim' as a public identity in the U.S. and Britain.
ISIS and the Coming of Judgment Day: A Theology of the Real
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Dr. Ori Goldberg from the ICT examines ISIS as a religious phenomenon, emphasizing its theological logic rooted in beliefs about Judgment Day.
Ethics and Extremism: Normative Foundations of Extremism and Political Responses
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This workshop will map and analyse the relationship between ethics and extremism in public representations of extremism and in political efforts to fight it.
Far Right Intellectuals: Ezra Pound's influence on post-war fascism
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Andrea Rinaldi, University of Bergen, presents the political legacies of Ezra Pound.
There are good people who do Prevent!’ Policy detoxification on the frontline of Preventing Violent Extremism
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In this talk, Joel Busher (Coventry University) discusses the UK government's Prevent Strategy and its impact on education. He explores how educators have dealt with the legal duty of Prevent, finding that while there are some concerns, opposition is not as strong as anticipated. Busher highlights "policy detoxification" mechanisms, such as aligning Prevent with safeguarding and citizenship education.
2016
Ethical Challenges in Research on Extremism
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Which ethical dilemmas and limitations are present in research on contemporary extremism? C-REX invites the Norwegian National Research Ethics Committees in Social Science and Humanities (NESH) and the Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD) for discussions.
Radicalizing Matters: The Role of Technology in the Emergence of Terrorism
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Associate professor Mats Fridlund’s (University of Aalto, Finland) researches the science, technology and materiality of terrorisms and its connections to industrialization and globalization. An ongoing study investigates the materiality of non-state terrorism by analyzing the role appropriation of engineering expertise and industrial technologies such as dynamite, revolvers and print technologies have played in the rise of modern terrorism.
Right-Wing Extremism in Social Media: The Case of Norway
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To what extent do Norwegian extreme right groups use social media and what do they use social media for? Political scientists Birgitte Haanshuus and Anders Ravik Jupskås presents their research at C-REX.
Europe and Beyond. The Anti-Islamic Movements’ Growth and Ties
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How to explain the increasing support to anti-muslim and islamophobic groups, and is this a transnational phenomena? PhD-candidate Lars Erik Berntzen (European University Institute, Florence) presents his research at C-REX.
Extremism, Communication and the Media: Debunking the Myths
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In this talk, Professor Cristina Archetti (Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo) challenges the commonly held beliefs about the relationship between extremism and media, especially the internet and social media. She critiques the reliance on outdated communication models, the excessive focus on messaging, the demonization of the internet, and the neglect of the broader context of political mobilization in counter-extremism strategies
The impact of covert activity upon the extreme right in 1940s Britain
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Graham Macklin discusses the surprising scope and wide-ranging impact of covert intelligence activities against the British extreme right both before, during and after the Second World War.
The Study of Far Right Parties: Time To Catch Up With Reality!
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In this lecture, Cas Mudde will review three waves of research on populist radical right parties, then critically evaluate recent progress in four areas: scope, data and methods, causes, and consequences. He argues that, while research has expanded to cover more issues and parties, theoretical innovation concerning their electoral success has stagnated since the mid-1990s. Additionally, studies focusing on party effects, particularly on immigration policies, remain limited. Mudde calls for a fourth wave of research that recognizes the diversity within far-right parties and moves beyond the outsider-challenger party paradigm.
Academic Seminar: Cas Mudde on Youth and the Extreme Right
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Cas Mudde presents the edited volume Youth and the Extreme Right at the Autumn 2016 Academic Seminar. This unique collection explores the relationship between youth and the extreme right, drawing on diverse academic disciplines and employing both qualitative and quantitative methods.
The book addresses three key questions:
- What attracts youths to the extreme right?
- What is the importance of prejudice and violence for extreme right youths?
- What are the best prevention and intervention strategies to deal with extreme right youths?
C-REX Conference: First conference on the Extreme Right, Hate Crime and Political Violence.
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Extreme right violence and beliefs remain a global challenge for liberal democracies, with several hundred people killed by right-wing extremists in Europe since 1990. Conspiracy theories, ethnic prejudices, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism are on the rise across Europe. The contemporary refugee crisis and online transnational activism may exacerbate these trends.
This cross-disciplinary conference gathers scholars from political science, criminology, anthropology, history, sociology, psychology, and media studies. By combining micro-level studies of motives and legitimacy, meso-level studies of local responses to forced migration, and macro-level studies of factors influencing militant activity, the conference aims to understand the complexity of historical and contemporary right-wing extremism.
Facebook as a Playground for Christian and Nationalistic Identity Politics
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In this Academic Seminar, Mona Abdel-Fadil (Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo) presents her research on Facebook. This talk provides a grounded analysis of the multiple ways in which social media audiences shape mediatized religious conflicts and engage in identity politics online.
Radicalization in context
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Therese Sandrup and Nerina Weiss, both from FFI, will present their latest research in the project Searching the unknown: discourses and effects of preventing radicalization in Scandinavia (RADISKAN).
Conflict, Extremism and Migration
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Can political psychological scholarship improve understanding and policies? One day conference organized by the Department of Psychology (PSI), the Center for Research on Extremism (C-REX) and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).
Teenagers, radicalisation and the implications for CVE
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Shandon Harris-Hogan explores the increasing youth involvement in radicalization to violent extremism, using Australian Jihadism as a case study. He examines when this shift began and, with a redefined notion of "at risk" not based on geography or demographics, estimates the size of this population.
Islamophobia – What’s in a Name? Analysing the Discourses About Islam and Muslims Of The Far-Right Stop The Islamisation of Norway (SIAN)
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Sindre Bangstad presents findings from his Research on SIAN.