Cynthia Miller-Idriss
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780691196152
- eISBN:
- 9781400888931
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691196152.003.0006
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
This chapter analyzes symbols borrowed from non-German movements and global or pan-Aryan extremists. Here, the chapter also includes the appropriation of nonextremist products that have been assigned ...
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This chapter analyzes symbols borrowed from non-German movements and global or pan-Aryan extremists. Here, the chapter also includes the appropriation of nonextremist products that have been assigned new meaning as well as symbols and codes that are in languages other than German. The chapter highlights the multivocality of far right symbols that are simultaneously nationalist and global. It suggests that this multivocality is further amplified by the ironies of far right youth deployment of non-German symbols, while simultaneously adhering to anti-immigrant sentiments or enacting violence against ethnic and racial minorities in the name of the German nation. The chapter draws both on an analysis of images and of young people's interpretation of “global” symbols deployed in the commercialized products to argue that far right ideologies have broadened, in the global era, beyond (mere) national borders. It suggests that there are parallels for how other geographically dispersed extremist ideologies—from Islamist extremism to ecoterrorism—might mobilize followers across national and linguistic boundaries. The chapter also analyzes legal disputes about the bans and examine youth reactions to school bans of particular symbols and codes as well as teachers' discussions of the enforcement of those bans. Ultimately, it argues that banning policies tend to backfire, further contributing to the game-playing aspect of code modification that make the symbols appealing in the first place.Less
This chapter analyzes symbols borrowed from non-German movements and global or pan-Aryan extremists. Here, the chapter also includes the appropriation of nonextremist products that have been assigned new meaning as well as symbols and codes that are in languages other than German. The chapter highlights the multivocality of far right symbols that are simultaneously nationalist and global. It suggests that this multivocality is further amplified by the ironies of far right youth deployment of non-German symbols, while simultaneously adhering to anti-immigrant sentiments or enacting violence against ethnic and racial minorities in the name of the German nation. The chapter draws both on an analysis of images and of young people's interpretation of “global” symbols deployed in the commercialized products to argue that far right ideologies have broadened, in the global era, beyond (mere) national borders. It suggests that there are parallels for how other geographically dispersed extremist ideologies—from Islamist extremism to ecoterrorism—might mobilize followers across national and linguistic boundaries. The chapter also analyzes legal disputes about the bans and examine youth reactions to school bans of particular symbols and codes as well as teachers' discussions of the enforcement of those bans. Ultimately, it argues that banning policies tend to backfire, further contributing to the game-playing aspect of code modification that make the symbols appealing in the first place.
Cynthia Miller-Idriss
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780691196152
- eISBN:
- 9781400888931
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691196152.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
Far right politics and extremist violence are on the rise across Europe, prompting scholars and policymakers to question why extremism has become so appealing to so many people. This book examines ...
More
Far right politics and extremist violence are on the rise across Europe, prompting scholars and policymakers to question why extremism has become so appealing to so many people. This book examines how far right ideologies have entered mainstream German culture through commercialized products and clothing laced with extremist, anti-Semitic, racist, and nationalist coded symbols and references. Required reading for anyone concerned about the global resurgence of the far right, the book shows how these new brands desensitize consumers to extremist ideas, dehumanize victims, and are virtually indistinguishable from other popular clothing.Less
Far right politics and extremist violence are on the rise across Europe, prompting scholars and policymakers to question why extremism has become so appealing to so many people. This book examines how far right ideologies have entered mainstream German culture through commercialized products and clothing laced with extremist, anti-Semitic, racist, and nationalist coded symbols and references. Required reading for anyone concerned about the global resurgence of the far right, the book shows how these new brands desensitize consumers to extremist ideas, dehumanize victims, and are virtually indistinguishable from other popular clothing.
