Welcome to Volume 12, Issue 1 of the monthly VOX-Pol Newsletter.
FEATURED PUBLICATION
VOX-Pol Member, Dr Ashton Kingdon, has authored a new book titled ‘The World White Web: Uncovering the Hidden Meanings of Online Far-Right Propaganda‘, published as part of the Palgrave Hate Studies book series.
The book draws on extensive empirical research and uses an interdisciplinary perspective. It seeks to understand the propaganda and recruitment tactics that far-right groups employ, and addresses the ethical and security implications of researching in this space.
The book is open access and is freely available in full to read and share. It’s designed so that the chapters can stand alone and be used as teaching aids, and to appeal to multiple stakeholders.
Chapters include:
- The Methodological and Ethical Implications of Using Imagery as the Primary Method of Researching Online Extremism
- Hooked on Classics: The Far Right’s Appropriation of Ancient Greece and Rome
- ‘Memeieval’ Times: The Manipulation and Weaponisation of the Reconquista, the Crusades, and the Rurik Dynasty
- Memeing ‘Moonlight and Magnolias’: The Coding and Cloaking of Cyber Racism
- Folktales and the Führer: The Memeification and Racialisation of Mythology, Fairy Tales, and Folklore
- Far-Right Environmentalism and the Supernatural Imaginary: Runic Writing, Ethnic Ruralism, and Occult Practices
- Socio-Technical and Multi-stakeholder Approaches to Countering Online Propaganda
RESEARCH FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
Countering Violent Extremism Research That Supports Policy and Practice in Australia
The Australian Department of Home Affairs is seeking to fund up to four research projects addressing critical challenges in countering violent extremism (CVE) and supporting Australia’s counter-terrorism strategies. This call for proposals aligns with the AVERT Research Network’s mission to share and promote opportunities for impactful research that informs practice and policy making in this critical field.
Key Dates:
- Call Opens: 20 December 2024
- Deadline for queries: 15 January 2025
- Proposal Submission Deadline: 5 February 2025
- Notification of Application Outcome: 1 March 2025
- Progress Report Due: 10 June 2025
- Final Deliverable Due: December 2025
Find out more and apply at the AVERT website.
RECENTLY ON THE VOX-Pol BLOG
Last month’s Blog posts included:
- Emotions and Violence Legitimation in Conspiracy Narratives, 8 January 2025, by Darja Wischerath.
- Examining the Persisting and Desisting Online Posting Behaviors of Violent and Non-Violent Right-Wing Extremists, 18 December 2024, Ryan Scrivens, Thomas W. Wojciechowski, Tiana Gaudette, and Richard Frank.
- The Trump Manosphere: Reactionary Male Supremacy, Misogyny and Accelerationist Violence in the Post-Election Era, 11 December 2024, Joshua Bowes and Jennifer West.
This month is dedicated to posts from early career researchers. Interested in contributing to the VOX-Pol Blog? Click here for instructions on how to submit an article.
IN THE MEDIA
A spotlight on recent news items featuring VOX-Pol Members and their research:
- Editor’s Note: Recalibrating Your Resilience, ASIS Online, 1 January 2025.
- Young men are ‘testosterone-maxxing’ to ‘get more jacked’ — and more attention from women, New York Times, 13 December 2024.