5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

Far right's cultural industry is flourishing. Far right foundations, think tanks, fashion brands, music labels and publishers have assumed an increasingly prominent role in the mobilisation strategies of the social movement. The intellectual and cultural turn in the battle for hegemony of the far right is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. It involves a shift from traditional political strategies to more sophisticated cultural tactics aimed at influencing public discourse and everyday beliefs and attitudes, gaining legitimacy, and ultimately achieving political power. This session will delve into the multifaceted nature of these culture wars, focusing on how the far right seeks to assert dominance through a combination of ideological propagation, rhetorical strategies, and concrete actions. This panel also invites analyses of potential responses and counteractions to the far right's cultural hegemony, ultimately aiming to reduce exclusion, hate and radicalisation.