Gender, Youth, and the Far-Right: Mobilization, Identity, and Contradictions

Abstract

The far-right is an increasingly multifaceted and evolving movement (Norocel, 2023; Mudde, 2019; Camus, 2017; Gattinara & Pirro, 2019; Caiani, 2019), encompassing political parties, grassroots organizations, and subcultures. These entities can be categorized along multiple criteria, including historical development, ideological orientations, organizational structures, and mobilization strategies (Minkenberg, 2021; Rydgren, 2018). Within this ideological space, gender functions as a critical axis of identity and alliance-building, wherein anti-feminist, anti-LGBTQ+ discourses, and traditionalist gender norms play a central role (Norocel, 2022; Dietze & Roth, 2020; Köttig & Blum, 2017). At the same time, the far-right has strategically appropriated gender equality frameworks to advance anti-immigration agendas (Scrinzi, 2024; Sauer & Siim, 2019; Farris, 2017; Meret & Siim, 2013). This duality underscores the role of gender as a "symbolic glue" that bridges ideological gaps and facilitates far-right coalition-building (Kováts & Põim, 2015; Peto, 2018; McEwen & Narayanaswamy, 2023). Despite its growing influence, youth engagement with far-right ideologies remains an understudied dimension of this phenomenon. Research highlights that young men, in particular, constitute a significant proportion of far-right voters, and that the very young are growing the ranks of far-right extra-parliamentary groups (Miller-Idriss 2020). This panel seeks to examine how gender ideologies, including hyper-masculinity and hyper-femininity, shape far-right youth mobilization and identity construction. Additionally, it will explore the contradictory gender roles ascribed to non-national "Others" within far-right discourse. Key Themes and Questions: 1. How do far-right youth organizations and movements construct and disseminate gendered identities? 2. What role do patriarchal and ultraconservative narratives play in attracting young individuals to far-right ideologies? 3. How is masculinity framed as being in crisis, and how does this narrative influence far-right youth engagement? 4. In what ways do gendered perceptions shape far-right attitudes towards migration and multiculturalism? 5. How do gender norms facilitate far-right coalition-building and mobilization across different local and transnational contexts? By adopting an interdisciplinary and intersectional research approach, this panel aims to deepen our understanding of the intersections between youth, gender, and far-right mobilization. The contributions from political science, sociology, gender studies, and related disciplines explore the evolving gendered dimensions of far-right movements and their implications for contemporary political and societal dynamics.

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