@article{Rahlf_L-2023_135400,
title = {From democratic resistance to hostility against a “Covid-regime” – conspiracy theories as cross-milieu catalysts of radicalization},
author = {Rahlf, L.},
month = {jan},
year = {2023},
abstract = {How conspiracy theories mobilize protesters against the Covid-19 measures and whether they harbor an underestimated potential for radicalization requires more research. This paper first recognizes the possibility of anti-government conspiracy theories to mobilize a heterogeneous “resistance movement” and theorizes their ability to radicalize some supporters. An analysis of 71 interviews from the German magazine “Demokratischer Widerstand” reveals that an entire “Covid-regime” is often marked as an enemy. The empirical investigation suggests that conspiracy beliefs reflect a means of processing adverse experiences and anxieties, yet are increasingly directed against the political order, fostering anti-democratic attitudes and actions.},
journal = {Studies in Conflict & Terrorism},
publisher = {Taylor and Francis},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2023.2169894},
}
