Autonomous Nationalists: A Sociological Analysis of Right-Wing Extremism in Selected Communities and the Internet.

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Wilhelm Heitmeyer
• Subject Area: Sociological Theory
• Term: from 2014 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 254142102

This project pursues sociological research into right-wing extremism, examining the social origins of members of the Autonomous Nationalist milieu, their interactions with other groups of actors in public space (including violence), their attempts to expand their control of space, and their recruitment strategies (concerning) young people at risk of disintegration. Devoting less attention to the ideological and programmatic propaganda on which political science focuses, the project will instead investigate the development of the Autonomous Nationalists over time through a comparison in four communities and concomitant observation and analysis of internet- and demonstration-related activities.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Persons: Professor Dr. Dierk Borstel; Dr. Gudrun Heinrich; Professor Dr. Kurt Möller; Privatdozent Dr. Rainer Strobl