QAnon, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Meaning

Christopher T. Conner, Saverio Roscigno, Matthew N. Hannah

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2026
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9798216260080
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Politics
• Index: Social Sciences

QAnon, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Meaning diagnoses a particular social challenge facing Americans in the 21st century: the rise and spread of dangerous conspiracy theories across the internet.

Rather than dismiss such theories as the product of delusions, this book argues that the true conspiracy these theorists are trying to uncover is really located in a critique of neoliberal capitalism, austerity, and economic precarity. The authors contextualize QAnon as a misguided response to larger economic conditions endemic to late capitalism. Such a scholarly approach provides unique insight into some of the salient factors that make conspiracy theories such as QAnon so popular at a time of unprecedented information literacy. In their assessment, fighting conspiracy theories thus requires a radical realignment of the social, political, and economic priorities of the United States.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Introduction: QAnon, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Meaning
• Chapter 1: Basket of Deplorables: Labeling Theory, Moral Panics, and Subcultural Identity
• Chapter 2: The System Is Rigged: Structural Betrayal and the Rise of QAnon
• Chapter 3: The Gamification of QAnon: Apophenia, Cognitive Dissonance, and Parasociality
• Chapter 4: The “Big Tent” Conspiracy Theory: QAnon and the Left
• Chapter 5: Who Are Q?: The Demographics of Conspiracy Theory
• Chapter 6: Do They Really Believe This Stuff?
• Conclusion: QAnon Goes Mainstream
• References
• Index
• About the Authors