“I just want to be the friendly face of national socialism”
This article is based on a case study of the media narratives of the neo-Nazi organisation Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM) and situates this particular actor within the broader landscape of violent extremism in Sweden today. Drawing on a qualitative content analysis informed by narrative inquiry, I...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Sciendo
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Nordicom Review |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2021-0004 |
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| author | Askanius Tina |
| author_facet | Askanius Tina |
| author_sort | Askanius Tina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article is based on a case study of the media narratives of the neo-Nazi organisation Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM) and situates this particular actor within the broader landscape of violent extremism in Sweden today. Drawing on a qualitative content analysis informed by narrative inquiry, I examine various cultural expressions of neo-Nazi ideology in NRM's extensive repertoire of online media. Theoretically, I turn to cultural perspectives on violent extremism to bring to centre stage the role of popular culture and entertainment in the construction of a meaningful narrative of community and belonging built around neo-Nazism in Sweden today. The analysis explores the convergence between different genres, styles, and content into new cultural expressions of national socialism which bleed into mainstream Internet culture and political discourse in new ways. In the online universe of NRM, the extreme blends with the mainstream, the mundane and ordinary with the spectacular and provocative, and the serious with the silly. In this manner, the analysis lays bare the strategies through which NRM seeks to soften, trivialise, and normalise neo-Nazi discourse using the power and appeal of culture and entertainment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-670fd93b5dbe4a728e6f15a9df8f89c4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2001-5119 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Sciendo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordicom Review |
| spelling | doaj-art-670fd93b5dbe4a728e6f15a9df8f89c42025-02-02T15:48:50ZengSciendoNordicom Review2001-51192021-03-0142s1173510.2478/nor-2021-0004“I just want to be the friendly face of national socialism”Askanius Tina0School of Arts and Communication, Malmö University, SwedenThis article is based on a case study of the media narratives of the neo-Nazi organisation Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM) and situates this particular actor within the broader landscape of violent extremism in Sweden today. Drawing on a qualitative content analysis informed by narrative inquiry, I examine various cultural expressions of neo-Nazi ideology in NRM's extensive repertoire of online media. Theoretically, I turn to cultural perspectives on violent extremism to bring to centre stage the role of popular culture and entertainment in the construction of a meaningful narrative of community and belonging built around neo-Nazism in Sweden today. The analysis explores the convergence between different genres, styles, and content into new cultural expressions of national socialism which bleed into mainstream Internet culture and political discourse in new ways. In the online universe of NRM, the extreme blends with the mainstream, the mundane and ordinary with the spectacular and provocative, and the serious with the silly. In this manner, the analysis lays bare the strategies through which NRM seeks to soften, trivialise, and normalise neo-Nazi discourse using the power and appeal of culture and entertainment.https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2021-0004nordic resistance movementneo-nazismviolent extremismonline media practicesnormalisation of racism and antisemitism |
| spellingShingle | Askanius Tina “I just want to be the friendly face of national socialism” Nordicom Review nordic resistance movement neo-nazism violent extremism online media practices normalisation of racism and antisemitism |
| title | “I just want to be the friendly face of national socialism” |
| title_full | “I just want to be the friendly face of national socialism” |
| title_fullStr | “I just want to be the friendly face of national socialism” |
| title_full_unstemmed | “I just want to be the friendly face of national socialism” |
| title_short | “I just want to be the friendly face of national socialism” |
| title_sort | i just want to be the friendly face of national socialism |
| topic | nordic resistance movement neo-nazism violent extremism online media practices normalisation of racism and antisemitism |
| url | https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2021-0004 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT askaniustina ijustwanttobethefriendlyfaceofnationalsocialism |