Alison Phipps

Alison Phipps

Alison Phipps is a UK-based scholar, writer and teacher working in the area of gender, with a specific focus on sexual violence. She’s currently Professor of Sociology at Newcastle University and honorary Professor in the Centre for Women’s Studies at the University of York. Her latest book is called Me, Not You: the trouble with…

Episode 233: What Can Sociology Say about Right-Wing Extremism and the Mainstreaming of Racism and the Far-Right with Aaron Winter

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil Today we are cutting through the noise to tackle one of the most urgent and uncomfortable realities of our time: how hate has gone mainstream. From anonymous forums to prime-time politics, far-right extremism is no longer a fringe threat — it’s a digital, cultural, and political force shaping our democracies. Dominic…

Dr. Aaron Winter

Aaron Winter

Dr. Aaron Winter (BA Hons. York; MA Warwick, DPhil Sussex) is Senior Lecturer in Sociology (Race and Anti-Racism), Deputy Doctoral Director and Director of the Centre for Alternatives to Social and Economic Inequalities (CASEI) at Lancaster University. He previously taught at the Universities of Brighton, Sussex, Abertay and East London. His research is on the…

online, extremism, apps, instagram, Facebook, google, linkedin, x, twitter

Mainstreaming Hate: How Right-Wing Extremism Became a Digital and Political Force

Written by Elisa Garbil – 22.05.2025 In recent years, right-wing extremism has evolved from fringe ideology into a persistent force that influences public discourse, political behaviour, and even policy. The transition from the margins to the mainstream hasn’t happened by accident. It’s the result of a complex interplay between online radicalisation, conspiracy thinking, and the…

Episode 232: Pagan Extremism with Ross Downing

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil Today we are discussing Pagan Extremism, and especially Norse Paganism. Dominic and Ross Downing dive into how Norse paganism is being hijacked by white separatists and radical influencers, how the pagan extremism evolves, and how communities fight back to reclaim meaning and identity from the clutches of hate. Ross Downing is…

Ross Downing

Ross Downing

Ross Downing is an affiliate researcher of UK non-profit organisation Inform, and a registered subject matter expert with the EU knowledge hub on prevention of radicalisation. Ross specialises in extremist ideologies. He is co-editor of the book Germanic & Slavic Paganisms: security threats and resiliency with Kaarina Aitamurto, published January 2025 on Bloomsbury Academic Press.

Stonehenge, UK

Reclaiming Paganism: Navigating the Crossroads of Faith, Identity, and Extremism

Written by Elisa Garbil – 19.05.2025 In recent years, the revival of Norse and Germanic pagan traditions, often termed Heathenry or Ásatrú, has sparked global fascination. With roots in pre-Christian spirituality, this resurgence is more than a historical curiosity; it’s an evolving movement rich with myth, ritual, and cultural heritage. Yet, this revival faces a…

BlackPilled - Meadhbh Park

BlackPilled: Masculinity, Media and Incels – Méadhbh Park

Written by Elisa Garbil – 16.05.2025 A great explanation of what incels actually feel and think, which is often forgotten. It is important to understand people in order to help them, and Meadhbh has done that perfectly in her book BlackPilled. In addition, Meadhbh love for movies is incorporated into this book, which is a…

Incel, Laptop,

Dissecting the Incel Subculture: Between Marginalisation and Misogyny

Written by Elisa Garbil – 12.05.2025 In recent years, the figure of the “incel” has moved from obscure internet forums into academic discourse, media narratives, and public safety discussions. Initially coined by a queer Canadian woman in the 1990s as part of a support-oriented project, the term “involuntary celibate” once embraced a diverse community of…

Episode 230: Male Supremacism and Misogynist Extremism with Dr. Allysa Czerwinsky

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil Today on we’re diving headfirst into a threat vector that’s been hiding in plain sight: the toxic, metastasising digital subcultures, that are radicalising young men globally and fuelling a new wave of misogynistic violence. Hear the discussion about the risk of these online ideologies, the struggle of categorising, early warning…