Collective Emotions and Political Violence: Narratives of Islamist Organisations in Western Europe - Hardcover

by Ma騅a Cl駑ent (Author)

How do collective actors move from moderate politics to (violent) extremism? Faced with high risks of repression and implosion, they need to legitimate such radical change to keep members and followers committed to collective action. Drawing on the texts, audios, and videos of five Islamist organisations in the UK and Germany in the 2000s and 2010s, the book develops a transdisciplinary theoretical framework and innovative methodological approach to explore how radical changes in activism are mediated. Cl駑ent argues that political violence has to feel right, as a collective, for an organisation and its followers to move from moderate activism to (violent) extremism. She shows that organisations mediate this change by performing collective emotions in and through narrative. The book offers a provocative and nuanced account which departs from conventional interpretations of radicalisation and reminds us of the power of emotions.

Back Jacket

'This outstanding contribution brings together two of the hottest topics in IR: emotions and narratives. It convincingly shows how narratives are woven by Islamist organisations in order to aid group radicalisation and legitimise extremism. The book emphasises that humans, including extremists, love storytelling.'
Alexander Spencer, Chair of International Relations, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg

'This exciting new book offers original and powerful demonstration of the importance of shared emotions in political activism. Drawing on examples from the UK and Germany, its emphasis on political violence needing to 'feel right' for collectives takes debate far beyond dominant explanatory frameworks. Cl駑ent's book will be widely read, [and] deservedly so!'
Lee Jarvis, Professor of International Politics, University of East Anglia

Collective emotions and political violence presents a timely analysis of the politics of emotions in narratives of political activism and violence. Drawing on extensive primary data produced by five Islamist organisations in the UK and Germany, the book explores how collective actors move from moderate politics to (violent) extremism.

The book develops an innovative theoretical and methodological framework at the intersection of world politics, peace and conflict studies, critical terrorism research, literary studies, and transdisciplinary emotion research. By exploring how non-state actors manage collective emotions, the book extends beyond the ideology-centric and strategic-rationalist approaches to group radicalisation. It offers an insightful and nuanced account of non-state agency and emotion dynamics in political conflicts.

Author Biography

Ma騅a Cl駑ent is a Lecturer in International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies at Osnabr?k University