Joel Busher

Activism in any social movement group is, as Deborah Gould observes, a project of collective ‘world-making’. It is about changing the world out there by influencing policy and public opinion, but is also about the way it transforms the lives of participants – activists generate new identities, cultures, social ties, rich and varied emotional experiences and interpretations of the world around them. Movements are more likely to be able to attract and sustain support when as projects of collective world-making they feel compelling to activists and would-be activists. In this book Busher explores what has made activism in the English Defence League (EDL), an anti-Muslim protest movement that has staged demonstrations across the UK since 2009, so compelling to those who have chosen to march under its banner. Based on sixteen months of overt observation with grassroots activists, he explores how people became involved with the group; how they forged and intensified belief in the EDL cause; how they negotiated accusations that they were just another racist, far right group; and how grassroots EDL activism began to unravel during the course of 2011 but did not do so altogether. Providing a fresh insight as to how contemporary anti-minority protest movements work on the inside, this book will be of interest to students, scholars and activists working in the areas of British politics, extremism, social movements, community relations and current affairs more generally.

Grassroots Activism in the English Defence League

The Making of Anti-Muslim Protest

"This invaluable book brings empirical rigour to a debate that is too often emotive, polarised and selective in its approach to the facts. By examining how the Prevent duty is enacted in practice, the authors provide a sound evidence base for future policy development." --David Anderson QC, House of Lords, and former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation "This book is crucial reading for at least three audiences: first, policy makers who are revising counter-terror and Prevent type strategies, second, those making judgements on Prevent enactment such as OFSTED, and third, those involved in training around extremism and radicalisation in schools. The book reveals what teachers and students actually want to know in this contested and complex area. It is an impressive read." --Lynn Davies, Birmingham University, UK and Director of ConnectFutures This open access book explores the enactment, impact and implications of the Prevent Duty across a range of educational contexts. In July 2015 the UK became the first country to place a specific legal requirement on those working in education to contribute to efforts to 'prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. Drawing on extensive research with staff, children and young people, the editors and contributors provide new insight into how this high-profile - and highly contentious - policy has shaped educational practice in Britain today. It will be a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers and others interested in the design, implementation and on-the-ground effects of Prevent or similar programmes internationally that place education at the heart of efforts to prevent or counter violent extremism. Joel Busher is Associate Professor at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University, UK. Lee Jerome is Associate Professor of Education at Middlesex University, UK.

Impact, Enactment and Implications

The Prevent Duty in Education

Aaron Winter

Stephen D. Ashe

Graham Macklin

Researching the Far Right brings together researchers from across the humanities and social sciences to provide much needed discussion about the methodological, ethical, political, personal, practical and professional issues and challenges that arise when researching far right parties, their electoral support, and far right protest movements. Drawing on original research focussing mainly on Europe and North America over the last 30 years, this volume explores in detail the opportunities and challenges associated with using ethnographic, interview-based, quantitative and online research methods to study the far right. These reflections are set within a wider discussion of the evolution of far right studies from a variety of disciplinary viewpoints within the humanities or the social sciences, tracing the key developments and debates that shape the field today. This volume will be essential reading for students and scholars with an interest in understanding the many manifestations of the far right and cognate movements today. It also offers insight and reflection that is likely to be valuable for a wider range of students and scholars across the humanities and social sciences who are carrying out work of an ethically, politically, personally, practically and professionally challenging nature.

Joel Busher

Books

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