WGST 880AU

Around the world, through local elections and imperialist action, far‑right ideologies, parties, and movements have become central actors in contemporary politics. Beyond electoral success and policy influence, they intervene in culture, identity, and everyday life, reshaping how social space is defined, contested, and governed. This course offers a critical, interdisciplinary examination of far‑right politics, movements, and social spaces through close readings of key texts, empirical studies, and theoretical interventions. Students will analyze how the far‑right constructs “the people” and “the enemy,” how gender, race, sexuality, and nation are mobilized in struggles over belonging, and how spaces such as institutions, streets, media ecosystems, and cultural arenas become sites of political conflict. Particular attention is paid to claims of marginality, anti‑elitism, and authenticity, as well as to the broader social conditions that make these narratives persuasive. Overall, the course situates far‑right politics within wider debates about democracy, power, identity, and the organization of social space in the contemporary world.