This book examines the role of masculinities in violent extremism. Drawing on three sets of empirical data—a digital ethnography of violent extremist websites and manifestos, a quantitative analysis of these sites’ texts, and a survey and interviews of men in Australia—this research explores men’s motivations to support or participate in violent extremist groups and commit violent political acts. The authors argue that a common delineating factor across groups and movements spanning the political and religious spectrum—including jihadist terrorists, far-right movements, white nationalist terrorists, and online hate groups forming the ‘manosphere’—is the role of masculinities in recruitment and patterns of participation. Their research illustrates how such groups centrally deploy narratives of recapturing masculinity and manhood from a place of perceived powerlessness and how they have become skilled at using masculinities and mobilizing emotions such as anger as a recruitment mechanism. Additionally, the authors critically assess the existing literature on this subject, noting how some accounts of masculinity and terrorism are overgeneralized, decontextualized, or ethnocentric, which can in turn negatively shape countering violent extremism (CVE) policy and programming.
UNOCT is grateful to the author for the donation of this resource to the GIFP library.