Political Science and Sociology Panel
The Impact of Perceived Marginalization on Alt-Right Attitudes and Behaviors
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Political Science
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Brittany Wood
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Despite the growing presence of alternative-right extremism in the United States, there is little research that has been done as to how alt-right extremism and perceived marginalization are related. This has led to an inadequate understanding of how and why these two variables interact the way they do. The purpose of this project will be to fill that gap and explain the relationship between one’s perception of marginalization within society and the internalization of alt-right rhetoric or outright engagement in alt-right extremism. I plan to analyze existing research in order to explain exactly what alternative-right extremism is, the role it plays in modern society, and the ways in which it operates in relation to an individual’s personal belief that they are marginalized. I intend to use established survey data from accredited databases to comprise each of these variables and perform statistical analysis as to whether there is a relationship between the two and, if there is, how strong that relationship is. In my analysis, I expect to find that there is a relationship between perceived marginalization and alt-right extremism, such that individuals who believe they are victims within society are more likely to adopt alt-right beliefs and participate in this particular type of political behavior. The results of this research will hopefully offer new observations into how and why alt-right extremism is connected to perceived marginalization and raise important questions as to how this research could be applicable to other predictors of alt-right behavior.
Spring Scholars Week 2024 Event
Political Science and Sociology Panel
The Impact of Perceived Marginalization on Alt-Right Attitudes and Behaviors
Despite the growing presence of alternative-right extremism in the United States, there is little research that has been done as to how alt-right extremism and perceived marginalization are related. This has led to an inadequate understanding of how and why these two variables interact the way they do. The purpose of this project will be to fill that gap and explain the relationship between one’s perception of marginalization within society and the internalization of alt-right rhetoric or outright engagement in alt-right extremism. I plan to analyze existing research in order to explain exactly what alternative-right extremism is, the role it plays in modern society, and the ways in which it operates in relation to an individual’s personal belief that they are marginalized. I intend to use established survey data from accredited databases to comprise each of these variables and perform statistical analysis as to whether there is a relationship between the two and, if there is, how strong that relationship is. In my analysis, I expect to find that there is a relationship between perceived marginalization and alt-right extremism, such that individuals who believe they are victims within society are more likely to adopt alt-right beliefs and participate in this particular type of political behavior. The results of this research will hopefully offer new observations into how and why alt-right extremism is connected to perceived marginalization and raise important questions as to how this research could be applicable to other predictors of alt-right behavior.