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When Being Bad is Good? Bringing Neutralization Theory to Subcultural Narratives of Right-Wing Violence

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Pisoiu, Daniela 

Abstract

Bringing together terrorism studies, subcultural theory, and narrative criminology, we here test the thesis that neutralization theory might be (further) developed to provide a framework for understanding stories of ideologically informed subcultural violence. Beginning with Gresham Sykes’ and David Matza’s original five neutralizations, we illustrate how actors engage them in three modes: the encultured, the subcultural, and (tentatively) the postnarrative mode. We test the first two modes in particular against narratives and narrative fragments from interviews with men convicted of right-wing violence in Germany. Our findings provide a preliminary illustration of what neutralization theory might bring to research into political violence.

Description

Keywords

4402 Criminology, 44 Human Society, Violence Research, 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Journal Title

Studies in Conflict & Terrorism

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1057-610X
1521-0731

Volume Title

43

Publisher

Informa UK Limited
Sponsorship
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) (unknown)