'Extremism and Its Support: Developing More Effective Policy Responses'

近年来，人们对极端主义的兴趣重新抬头，尽管主要是基地组织或AQ引发的恐怖主义。这种对防止暴力极端主义(PVE)和打击穆斯林社区内激进化进程的强调，标志着对2001年9月11日事件、随后在伦敦和马德里等城市发生的恐怖袭击以及国家安全部门的优先事项做出的合乎逻辑的回应。然而，与此同时，政策制定者中也出现了一种观点，即对一种特定类型的极端主义的过度关注，使他们对其他形式的极端主义意识形态、活动和支持的了解较少。一个特别被忽视的领域最近获得了更多的政策相关性，那就是右翼极端主义。在几个欧洲民主国家，激进和极右翼政党继续争取相对持久的选举支持。与此同时，人们对右翼极端主义意识形态和支持的兴趣死灰复燃，原因是非选举形式的动员(如英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士保卫联盟)的出现，以及一名通过激进的右翼挪威进步党并与右翼极端主义博客(如维也纳之门)有关联的“独狼”活动人士在挪威犯下的暴行。在这种背景下，政策制定者之间出现了一种共识：尽管对由AQ引发的恐怖主义和潜在的激进化过程有相对成熟的理解，缺乏对右翼极端主义组织及其意识形态诉求和支持者制定有效政策回应的任务。现有工作中的这一差距在最新的预防战略(2011年)中得到了很好的反映，该战略只用了四段论述右翼极端主义，并指出目前对这一挑战的认识“不可避免地落后于与基地组织有关的恐怖主义”。这一知识交流项目将通过促进社区和地方政府部(DCLG)增加其对右翼极端主义的知识基础和理解，直接有助于弥补这一差距。申请人将主要通过在DCLG工作六个月(这将支持一次会议和专家研讨会)，重点交流以下方面的知识：极右翼团体支持者的社会和态度概况；极右翼提供的意识形态呼吁和激励性词汇；非选举形式的动员；以及可能的政策对策。在DCLG和内政部的积极支持下，安置将促进在这一领域积累的学术知识的应用，这一领域(但不限于)由ESRC支持的研究。它的潜在应用和好处是什么？在国家级政策社区的安置将使申请人能够直接为DCLG和更广泛的政府部门的政策发展提供信息。具体而言，该项目将为政策制定者和更广泛的社会科学界带来以下好处：综合当前和过去的学术研究；确保政策立足于这一证据基础；建立关键出版物的数据库；为政策受众制作便于查阅的摘要；帮助查明当前和未来工作中的差距；制作“内部”出版物；促进上述领域研究集群的总体发展；组织和共同主办一次知识交流会议和四次专家讲习班，以建立或加强政策制定者和社会科学界之间的网络。作为一个整体，该项目将传递关于当前具有高度政策兴趣和相关性的问题的学术知识，加强政策制定者对一种经常被忽视的极端主义形式的理解，并直接为制定更有效的政策回应做出贡献

Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in extremism, though mainly al-Qaeda or 'AQ'-inspired terrorism. This emphasis on preventing violent extremism (PVE), and countering processes of radicalization within Muslim communities, has marked a logical response to the events of September 11th 2001, subsequent terrorist attacks in cities such as London and Madrid, and the priorities of national security services. However, at the same time, there has emerged a view among policymakers that the heavy focus on one particular 'type' of extremism has left them with a less developed understanding of alternative forms of extremist ideology, activity and support.One particularly neglected area that has recently acquired increased policy relevance is right-wing extremism. Across several European democracies, radical and extreme right-wing parties continue to rally relatively durable electoral support. At the same time, the resurgence of interest in right-wing extremist ideology and support has been fuelled by the emergence of non-electoral forms of mobilization (such as the English, Scottish and Welsh Defence Leagues), and the atrocities that were committed in Norway by a 'lone wolf' activist who had passed through the radical right-wing Norwegian Progress Party and was connected to right-wing extremist blogs (such as the Gates of Vienna).Against this backdrop there has emerged a consensus among policymakers: while there is a relatively well-developed understanding of AQ-inspired terrorism and underlying processes of radicalization, the task of developing an effective policy response to right-wing extremist organizations, their ideological appeals and supporters is lacking. This gap in the existing work is best reflected in the most recent Prevent strategy (2011), which devotes only four paragraphs to right-wing extremism and notes how the current understanding of this challenge 'is inevitably less developed than it is for terrorism associated with Al Qa'ieda'.This knowledge exchange project will directly contribute to addressing this gap by facilitating the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to increase its knowledge base and understanding about right-wing extremism. Principally, through a six-month placement at DCLG (that will support a conference and expert workshops), the applicant - an early career researcher - will focus on exchanging knowledge on: the social and attitudinal profile of supporters of extreme right-wing groups; the ideological appeals and motivational vocabularies offered by the extreme right; non-electoral forms of mobilization; and possible policy responses. With active support from DCLG and the Home Office, the placement will promote the application of accumulated academic knowledge in this area, which (but is not limited to) ESRC-supported research. What are the potential applications and benefits? A placement in a national-level policy community will enable the applicant to directly inform policy development at DCLG and also across government more widely. Specifically, the project will deliver the following benefits to policymakers and the wider social science community: a synthesis of current and past academic research; ensuring that policy is anchored in this evidence base; databasing key publications; producing accessible summaries for policy audiences; help identify gaps in current and future work; produce 'in house' publications; contribute to the general development of a research cluster in the area above; and organise and co-host a knowledge exchange conference and four expert workshops that will build or strengthen networks between policymakers and the social science community. When seen as a whole, the project will transfer academic knowledge on an issue that is currently of high policy interest and relevance, strengthen policymakers' understanding of an oft-neglected form of extremism and contribute directly to the development of more effective policy responses