Our research has involved sitting on death row talking with individuals convicted of white supremacist and anti-government violence about their life histories and extremist beliefs, spending long hours attending group meetings and other gatherings like neo-Nazi music festivals, and living with families committed to raising the next generation of right-wing extremists. We have also conducted intensive semi-structured life history interviews with over 100 former white supremacists gathering in-depth information regarding their childhood, adolescence, and adult lives. These interviews provide detailed portraits of pathways into and out of extremism as well as the character of their involvement including whether the person directly participated in violence and, if so, the nature of that violence.
Unpacking the Links Between Ideas and Violent Extremism
August 1, 2020