How to respond to right wing extremism? Presentation at the Faculty - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

How to respond to right wing extremism?

Presentation at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, 17.04.2018

• Prof. Dr. Heinz Lynen von Berg, University of Applied Sciences Bremen

CONTENT

I. Introduction II. Right wing extremism – what does it mean? III. How to respond to right wing extremism?

• main players and institutions to combat right wing extremism

IV. Conclusion

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• I. Introduction and first hand experience
• Content:
• Focus on right wing extremism and not on right wing populism;
• Central question of the workshop:

How to respond to, how to tackle this challenge?

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• II. Rigth wing extremism: What does it mean?

Dimensions according to Richard Stoess (2010: 21) rigth wing extremism

Behaviour/Activities:

• Protest/provocation
• Electoral behaviour
• Participation
• Membership (e.g. in a party)
• Violence, even terror

Attitudes:

• Nationalism
• Ethnocentrism
• Social-Darwinism
• Anti-Semitism
• Pro-National Socialism (NS)
• Pro dictatorship
• Sexism

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• II. Rigth wing extremism: What does it mean?
• Right wing extremism is an umbrella term
• different dimensions and aspects are summarized by one term;
• this term produces a lot of ambiguities and difficulties:
• We do not have to react to only one aspect but to several and very

different aspects.

• How can we manage these huge challenges?

• III. How to response to right wing extremism?
• institutions of national security and criminal proceedings;
• policy makers, e.g. main parties;
• civil society, citizens and political movements;
• education (e.g. school) and political education;
• social work:

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Main players and institutions to combat right wing extremism:

• approaches and methods;
• attitudes and ethical principles
• Is social work political?
• How is it based on a theory?

• IV. Conclusion and open questions

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The End or the Beginning?

„There is no good, apart from doing good!“ (Erich Kästner, a german writer)

Thank you very much for your attention and your cooperation!

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References

• Lynen von Berg, Heinz (2000): Political middle and right wing
• extremism. (German title: Politische Mitte

und Rechtsextremismus). Opladen: Leske + Budrich.

• Stöss, Richard (2010): Right wing extremism in change. (German title:

Rechtsextremismus im Wandel). Berlin: Friedrich- Ebert-Stiftung.

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