Loud and proud: Passion and politics in the English Defence League

The book uses interviews, informal conversations and extended observation at EDL events to critically reflect on the gap between the movement's public image and activists' own understandings of it. It details how activists construct the EDL, and themselves, as 'not racist, not violent, just no longe...

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Main Author: Pilkington, Hilary
Format: Online
Language:English
Published: Manchester University Press 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:607920
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author Pilkington, Hilary
author_browse Pilkington, Hilary
author_facet Pilkington, Hilary
author_sort Pilkington, Hilary
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description The book uses interviews, informal conversations and extended observation at EDL events to critically reflect on the gap between the movement's public image and activists' own understandings of it. It details how activists construct the EDL, and themselves, as 'not racist, not violent, just no longer silent' inter alia through the exclusion of Muslims as a possible object of racism on the grounds that they are a religiously not racially defined group. In contrast activists perceive themselves to be 'second-class citizens', disadvantaged and discriminated by a 'two-tier' justice system that privileges the rights of 'others'. This failure to recognise themselves as a privileged white majority explains why ostensibly intimidating EDL street demonstrations marked by racist chanting and nationalistic flag waving are understood by activists as standing 'loud and proud'; the only way of 'being heard' in a political system governed by a politics of silencing. Unlike most studies of 'far right' movements, this book focuses not on the EDL as an organisation - its origins, ideology, strategic repertoire and effectiveness - but on the individuals who constitute the movement. Its ethnographic approach challenges stereotypes and allows insight into the emotional as well as political dimension of activism. At the same time, the book recognises and discusses the complex political and ethical issues of conducting close-up social research with 'distasteful' groups.
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publishDate 2021
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-391922025-02-13T01:04:55Z Loud and proud: Passion and politics in the English Defence League Pilkington, Hilary islamophobia populist radical right movements political activism social movements far right organisations english defence league ethnography Multiculturalism Muslims Racism White people thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHB Sociology thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHM Anthropology::JHMC Social and cultural anthropology The book uses interviews, informal conversations and extended observation at EDL events to critically reflect on the gap between the movement's public image and activists' own understandings of it. It details how activists construct the EDL, and themselves, as 'not racist, not violent, just no longer silent' inter alia through the exclusion of Muslims as a possible object of racism on the grounds that they are a religiously not racially defined group. In contrast activists perceive themselves to be 'second-class citizens', disadvantaged and discriminated by a 'two-tier' justice system that privileges the rights of 'others'. This failure to recognise themselves as a privileged white majority explains why ostensibly intimidating EDL street demonstrations marked by racist chanting and nationalistic flag waving are understood by activists as standing 'loud and proud'; the only way of 'being heard' in a political system governed by a politics of silencing. Unlike most studies of 'far right' movements, this book focuses not on the EDL as an organisation - its origins, ideology, strategic repertoire and effectiveness - but on the individuals who constitute the movement. Its ethnographic approach challenges stereotypes and allows insight into the emotional as well as political dimension of activism. At the same time, the book recognises and discusses the complex political and ethical issues of conducting close-up social research with 'distasteful' groups. 2021-02-10T12:58:18Z 2016-12-31 23:55:55 2019-12-03 08:32:13 2020-04-01T14:17:21Z 2016 book 607920 OCN: 1030813723 http://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/32715 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/39192 eng New Ethnographies open access image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/32715/1/607920.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/32715/1/607920.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/32715/1/607920.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/32715/1/607920.pdf Manchester University Press bcb4ab08-c525-4e6c-88e5-a0cf0a175533 University of Manchester 328 open access
spellingShingle islamophobia
populist radical right movements
political activism
social movements
far right organisations
english defence league
ethnography
Multiculturalism
Muslims
Racism
White people
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHB Sociology
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHM Anthropology::JHMC Social and cultural anthropology
Pilkington, Hilary
Loud and proud: Passion and politics in the English Defence League
title Loud and proud: Passion and politics in the English Defence League
title_full Loud and proud: Passion and politics in the English Defence League
title_fullStr Loud and proud: Passion and politics in the English Defence League
title_full_unstemmed Loud and proud: Passion and politics in the English Defence League
title_short Loud and proud: Passion and politics in the English Defence League
title_sort loud and proud passion and politics in the english defence league
topic islamophobia
populist radical right movements
political activism
social movements
far right organisations
english defence league
ethnography
Multiculturalism
Muslims
Racism
White people
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHB Sociology
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHM Anthropology::JHMC Social and cultural anthropology
topic_facet islamophobia
populist radical right movements
political activism
social movements
far right organisations
english defence league
ethnography
Multiculturalism
Muslims
Racism
White people
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHB Sociology
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHM Anthropology::JHMC Social and cultural anthropology
url 607920
work_keys_str_mv AT pilkingtonhilary loudandproudpassionandpoliticsintheenglishdefenceleague