Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Professor of Sociology & Education at the American University in Washington, DC, discusses hate in America and its implications.
Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss on hate
Cynthia Miller-Idriss directs the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) at the Center University Excellence (CUE). She is the author of a critical book, especially in these times, “Hate in the Homeland.”
In this interview she discusses.
- The rise of the Boogaloo Boy movement, which illustrates a lot of her work, from their online roots to their Hawaiian shirts.
- Why young men are more susceptible to right-wing extremism than young women.
- How the Trump years have changed Right-Wing groups.
- How Right-Wing recruiting in the US differs from the rest of the world.
- And much more.
Dr. Miller-Idriss points out that there is much to say about masculinity and toxic masculinity as drivers of far-right violence in both online and offline contexts. She said we are seeing increasing participation of women in the far right, including in violent fringe and terrorist groups, but also through “softer” gateways like YouTube cooking videos. But young men were the essential architects of the kinds of online trolling and harassment that predated the emergence of the US “alt right” through phenomena like Gamergate. The contemporary far right is unimaginable without the influence of these developments and the deep intertwining of misogyny and male supremacy throughout extremist ideas and actions. I also find that young men are attracted to the marketing of a particular kind of far-right manhood, through messages about brotherhood, loyalty, and togetherness, as well as language around being a warrior, soldier, defender, or protector and taking heroic action.