Course description
This course explores the contemporary conditions under which far-right publics are formed, mobilized, and legitimized, as well as their societal consequences, in terms of nativist and authoritarian attitudes, and anti-migrant mobilisation and violence. The course interrogates the “soil” of far-right engagement: the evolving digital and sociopolitical landscapes that enable new publics, discourses, and affective communities to flourish.
Through an interdisciplinary approach grounded primarily in sociology, students will engage with key concepts such as counterpublics, online radicalization, affective circulation, algorithmic visibility, and hybrid media ecologies. The course explores how digital platforms shape far-right narratives and social dynamics, as well as how these dynamics translate into offline consequences, including various forms of anti-migrant mobilisation and violence, including protest campaigns, “stochastic terrorism”, “hive terrorism”, and other forms of diffuse, networked aggression.
The course also considers the broader societal consequences of far-right publics and antimigrant violence: how they influence public discourse, institutional responses, and democratic resilience. The ways in which far-right publics and mobilisation have developed during the last decades creates both opportunities and challenges for scientific study. For example, the proliferation of digital platforms have increased the availability of some types of data, while at the same time making mechanisms of diffusion and violent escalation more diffused and obscure.
Alongside theoretical approaches and research findings, key components in the course are therefore study designs and methodological considerations in the research area. The course combines theoretical inquiry with methodological reflection, supporting students in developing empirical research that links digital ethnography, discourse analysis, or mixed methods to pressing questions of radicalization, publicness, and violence.
The course is seminar-based and includes lectures, student-led discussions, practical workshops, empirical case studies, and assignments that encourage students to apply theories and methods to their own research areas.
Requirements and Selection
Entry requirements
Qualifying applicants are persons admitted to postgraduate studies within the social sciences or humanities at the University of Gothenburg or another university.
Very good knowledge of English, both in speech and writing, is a required for being able to take the course.
Selection
PhD students at the Department of Sociology and Work Science, University of Gothenburg and PhD students at the REMESO at Linköping University will be given priority. Other applicants will be assessed and admitted based on the relevance of their PhD project.
Educational partnership
The Swedish Research Council's Research school is a collaboration between the University of Gothenburg and Linköping University.
Other information
Accommodation in Gothenburg during the Campus week May 25-29 is covered for all PhD students who are admitted to the course and who do not live within commuting distance.
Link to website
https://www.gu.se/global-migration/vetenskapsradets-vr-forskarskola-i-migration-och-integration
Course syllabus
SC30023
Reading and reference list
Reading and reference list for the course
Department
Department of Sociology and Work Science
Subject
Social Science
Type of course
Subject area course
Research School/Graduate School
Graduate School in Migration and Integration
Keywords
Extreme right, Far right, Online publics, Political violence, Radicalization