Social movement scholarship has been dominated, until recently, by work on progressive movements. Yet as far-right agendas, narratives, and actors increasingly occupy public space, it is important to recognize, make visible, and understand the important role of grassroots far-right mobilization in facilitating this rise. This book showcases recent scholarship on mobilization for and against the far-right in Europe and the USA, fills in gaps in empirical knowledge on right-wing mobilization, and serves as a means through which to test the robustness of existing social movement theory.
Rich case studies covering mobilizing and countermobilizing in Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Turkey, Tunisia, the UK, and the USA offer novel insights into this understudied area of political contention. Contributors follow a diverse range of approaches and lines of inquiry, meaning that readers will come away not only with a better picture of the dynamics of right-wing mobilization but also with a robust understanding of key areas of social movement scholarship. This book will be of interest to anyone wanting to better understand the rise of far-right movements, their role in contemporary contentious politics, and grassroots efforts to contest them.
The chapters in this book were originally published in Social Movement Studies.