Figurations of Governmental Interventions Among Right-Wing Extremism and Islamism – A Progress Report

Abstract

This article illustrates a qualitative-interpretative approach to studying the field of ‘radicalisation prevention’ and presents the first results of this survey. To address the explorative research question concerning what radicalisation prevention in Germany means, interviews have been conducted with professionals working in the prevention of right-wing and Islamist radicalisation and with so-called ‘radicals’ themselves. Sensitive to the concept of social problems, prevention measures are seen as governmental strategies to solving socially defined problems such as ‘radicalisation’. Using a multi-method approach consisting of the Situational Analysis (as an enhancement of Grounded Theory) and Hermeneutic Sociology of Knowledge, the interactions and meaning structures of actors within the field of ‘radicalisation prevention’ became relevant for the analysis. This article discusses how professionals construct right-wing extremists and Islamists as problem groups differently with regard to the category of ‘security’ and how the interviewed (former) ‘radicals’ react to discourses about themselves. The article focuses on the biographies of ‘radicalised’ men who have undergone prevention measures.