The focus of this workshop was individuals’ experiences of, and engagement with, extremist ideas and beliefs – both jihadist and far-right – in a variety of different settings. Panellists explored the role of video games, music, humour and the occult in normalising extremism and assessed the extent to which this plays a role in radicalisation trajectories and desensitises individuals to violence. The reverse process – in which extremist actors adopt mainstream culture to expound their message – was also considered.
Panellists:
Dr Suraj Lakhani (University of Sussex)
Dr Weeda Mehran (University of Exeter)
Prof Jonathan Pieslak (The City College of New York, CUNY)
Dr Ashton Kingdon (University of Southampton)