Collective Emotions and Political Violence

Maéva Clément is a Lecturer in International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies at Osnabrück University

'This exciting new book offers original and powerful demonstration of the importance of shared emotions in political activism. Drawing on examples from the UK and Germany, its emphasis on political violence needing to ‘feel right’ for collectives takes debate far beyond the individualism and idealism of dominant explanatory frameworks. Clément’s book will be widely read by scholars and students in Politics, Sociology, and beyond, deservedly so! Lee Jarvis, Professor of International Politics, University of East Anglia'This outstanding contribution by Maéva Clément brings together two of the hottest topics in IR: emotions and narratives. It convincingly shows how narratives are woven by Islamist organisations in order to aid group radicalisation and legitimise extremism. The book emphasises that humans, including extremists, love storytelling.'Alexander Spencer, Chair of International Relations, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg‘Offering both conceptual depth and empirical detail, Maéva Clément shows how emotions – and in particular the emotional power of group narratives – are crucial to understanding why and how individuals and organisations move from moderate activism to violent extremism. The ensuing insights illuminate the inherently affective relationship between political moderation and escalation. This is an innovative book with important implications for appreciating the linkages between emotions and political violence.’ Emma Hutchison, Associate Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland

• IntroductionPart I: Characterising changes in political activism1 Contextualising Islamist organisations in Western Europe (2001–13)2 Reconstructing phases of activism: group moderation, radicalisation and extremismPart II: Exploring the performance of collective emotions3 A theory of emotionalisation in narrative form4 The romantic narrative of Western Islamist organisations5 Narrative emotionalisation and extremismConclusionIndex