Between Helplessness and Group-Based Control Restoration - Identity, Political Action and Resignation in Focus Groups of Left Wing Groups

This lecture reports the findings of a research project aimed to understand the escalation of political violence in contemporary Germany. Several focus groups have been conducted in an eastern German city. We will present selected results of our depth-hermeneutic interpretation drawing the experiences of left wing group members. Evident is the helplessness and its denial. The perceived threats from neo-Nazi groups as well as the inability to articulate strategies against neoliberalism lead to spheres of pseudo-control (e.g. politicization of eating or identity politics). The results will be discussed against the background of the polarization in the German society, described by the longitudinal “Center”-studies on right-wing extremism.