'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“基地”组织煽动的恐怖主义。强调防止暴力极端主义和打击穆斯林社区内的激进化进程，是对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优先事项的合理反应。然而，与此同时，政策制定者中出现了一种观点，即过分关注某一特定“类型”的极端主义，使他们对其他形式的极端主义意识形态、活动和支持缺乏充分的了解。右翼极端主义是一个特别被忽视的领域，最近获得了越来越多的政策相关性。在几个欧洲民主国家，激进和极右翼政党继续获得相对持久的选举支持。与此同时，非选举形式的动员的出现，助长了对右翼极端主义意识形态的兴趣和支持的重新抬头（如英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士国防联盟），以及一名“独狼”活动家在挪威犯下的暴行，这名活动家曾穿过激进右翼的挪威进步党，并与右翼极端主义博客有联系在这一背景下，决策者之间形成了一种共识：虽然对基地组织煽动的恐怖主义和激进化的基本过程有了比较深入的了解，但缺乏针对右翼极端主义组织、其意识形态诉求和支持者制定有效政策的任务。现有工作中的这一差距最好地反映在最近的预防战略（2011年）中，该报告仅用了四个段落论述右翼极端主义，并指出目前对这一挑战的理解“不可避免地不如对与基地组织有关的恐怖主义的理解”。DCLG），以增加其知识基础和对右翼极端主义的理解。主要是，通过在DCLG的六个月实习（将支持一次会议和专家讲习班），申请人-一名职业生涯初期的研究人员-将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诉求和激励词汇;非选举形式的动员;以及可能的政策反应。在DCLG和内政部的积极支持下，该职位将促进该领域积累的学术知识的应用，这些知识（但不限于）ESRC支持的研究。潜在的应用和好处是什么？在国家级政策社区的安置将使申请人能够直接告知DCLG以及更广泛的政府政策制定。具体而言，该项目将为决策者和广大社会科学界带来以下惠益：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;建立关键出版物数据库;为政策受众制作可查阅的摘要;帮助确定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，以建立或加强决策者与社会科学界之间的网络。从整体上看，该项目将转让关于目前具有高度政策意义和相关性的问题的学术知识，加强决策者对一种经常被忽视的极端主义形式的了解，并直接促进制定更有效的对策

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