Gender and Emotions in the ‘New’ Far Right: ‘Re-Constructing’ Gender and Masculinities
Language: English and Spanish
The results of the latest European elections (June 2024) demonstrate the strength and growth of the far right in Europe. As other organizations (e.g., Trump or Milei), European far-right parties present themselves as the saviors of the nation and (brave) warriors of the ‘cultural wars’ against left-wingers, feminists, and anti-racist activists, among others.
In this struggle, affective activation is fundamental for shaping and maintaining far-right leaderships and (anti)gender ideologies which are anti-feminist but also profoundly masculinist. In Spain, as in other European countries, most far-right voters are young men (i.e., Vox or Se Acabó La Fiesta –Party is Over–). To broaden their electoral base and avoid being considered solely as men’s parties far-right leaders deploy ‘masculine’ courage to maintain (and re-construct) traditional gender relations and hegemonic forms of masculinity even through female leaderships (e.g. Le Pen or Meloni).
This panel aims to delve into the affective gendered maps and the political-affective dynamics of the far right in relation to gender and masculinities. We welcome contributions related (but not limited) to:
- Connections between gender and emotions in the (far) right
- (Hegemonic) masculinities, bodies and affective activation in far-right ideologies and leadership
- Masculinity and youth in the global far right
- Affective communication practices in far-right politics (memes, social media)