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The Interplay of Aggression, Implicit Gender-Knowledge and Masculine Identity: Findings from a Qualitative Study of Disengagement and Deradicalisation Processes involving Former Right-Wing Extremists

Denis van de Wetering, Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS), University of Osnabrück

The contribution empirically explores how implicit right-wing extremist masculinity knowledge is involved in the genesis of aggressive feelings. Subsequently, the question is how aggressive feelings, as a pre-discursive form of gender knowledge, influence disengagement and deradical-isation processes (Sauerborn & Scheve, 2017). The presentation draws on a total of 18 qualitative interviews with male "defectors" from German right-wing extremist groups. The data collection and analysis were based on grounded theory. Current findings of disengagement and deradicalisation research were incorporated into the analysis as sensitising concepts (Silke et al., 2021; Raets, 2022). The talk sheds light on the significance of a caring right-wing extremist masculinity for the pre-reflexive construction of reactive and appetitive aggression (Hecker et al., 2015; Pear-son, 2019) in the social interactions of right-wing extremist groups. This also includes concepts, such as heroic doubling (Griffin, 2017) and martialisation (Haggerty & Bucerius, 2018). Simi-larly, to central factors and drivers that are attributed a special significance for the disengagement of right-wing extremist groups in the current scientific discussion (Silke et al., 2021; Raets, 2022). The presentation empirically shows how the disengaged develop a new identity. But despite the will to change, they are pre-reflexively guided by an affective mood in everyday life, which in turn hinders their deradicalisation and reintegration (van de Wetering & Hecker, 2022). In addition, they describe psychological problems such as agitation, tension, fear, feelings of guilt and shame, and uncontrollable aggressive outbursts. This encourages reflection on how mental health issues should be considered and integrated into professional deradicalisation work to further increase the effectiveness of programmes (RAN, 2018; Bubolz & Simi, 2019; Koehler, 2020; Sischka, 2020; Jackson et al., 2021; Morrison et al., 2021).

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