Dates and Times
16 August 2022
17:00 - 18:00
Location
Address: ZOOM
Organiser
Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance
Speakers
Erik Lundberg
Enquiry
Sahana Sehgal
Hans Asenbaum
Event about:
Guardians of Democracy? On the Response of Civil Society Organisations to Right-Wing
Abstract: In this seminar I will talk about the role civil society organizations (CSOs) play in counteracting right-wing extremism. Drawing on central strands in the defending democracy literature, I introduce a typology to classify the responses of CSOs to right-wing extremism. Using this typology as a point of departure, I present findings from two case studies exploring how local CSOs in the Swedish town of Ludvika responded to the foremost neo-Nazi movement in the Nordic countries, namely the Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM). My findings indicate that CSOs serve as bulwarks against right-wing extremism at least during politically charged situations and that CSOs respond differently to right-wing extremism. Humanitarian and social service organizations appear slightly more inclined to engage in dialogue and protest compared with sports and recreation organizations and culture organizations. I raise the question whether bridging organizations may be more willing to respond to right-wing extremism and to use dialogue and deliberation compared to bonding organizations.
The seminar is based on two articles:
Lundberg, E. (2021). Guardians of democracy? On the response of civil society organisations to right-wing extremism. Scandinavian Political Studies, 44(2), 170-194.
Lundberg, E. (2022). Different Types, Different Reactions? How Civil Society Organizations Respond to Right-wing Extremism, forthcoming inVOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations.
Additional Information
Bio: Erik Lundberg is Associative Professor in Political Science at Dalarna University in Sweden. His research includes the role of civil society in democracy, political participation, and interpersonal attitudes such as social trust and tolerance. Another research topic concerns the participation of interest groups in advisory commissions and public consultations. He is also head representative of Political Science at Dalarna University and researcher at Marie Cederschiöld University in Stockholm, Sweden.
UC acknowledges the Ngunnawal people, traditional custodians of the lands where Bruce campus is situated. We wish to acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of Canberra and the region. We also acknowledge all other First Nations Peoples on whose lands we gather.