Searching the unknown: discourses and effects of preventing radicalization in Scandinavia

Violence-promoting extremism is perceived as one of the most urgent threats the Western world is confronted with. In order to fight violent extremism (VE) and terror, European governments have increasingly focused on detecting and preventing radicalization, considered as the process leading to VE and terror. This project has been focusing on the Scandinavian countries effort against radicalization to violence. In 2014, when the project was started, the countries action plans stressed that prevention work should be developed in which civil society and local communities would play an instrumental part. However, at that time, local institutions and the people who worked in close contact with potentially radicalized groups, had few guidelines as to where to look and what to look for. Understandings of what radicalization entails, and when ?strange? behavior might be regarded as ?worrying? varied therefore widely. Mobilization and recruitment to groups that can be defined as "radical" finds its inspiration in a variety of political and/or religious ideologies. However, whether such mobilization is viewed as in need of preventative measures is inherently linked to larger national and geopolitical developments. In this project, focus has been placed on how discourses on different levels inform understandings of radicalization and preventive actions, as well as how these impact so-called suspect communities and society at large. Our premise has been that current approaches to radicalization lacked a broader, empirically substantiated understanding of the social environments and discourses that framed such understandings. The secondary objective has been to enhance our knowledge on similarities and differences across Scandinavia of how local preventive actions and measures are practiced. Through comparative ethnographic fieldwork among local institutions and so-called suspect groups empirically based knowledge of how communities detect and prevent radicalization, as well as insights into the presumed impacts on the targeted groups and individuals has been provided. Our analyses have enhanced knowledge on the social environments and discourses that framed understandings and acts of radicalization, as well as on the intended and unintended impacts of practices of preventing radicalization.

All fieldwork has been conducted, academic workshop held in Dk in 2016 has resulted in a special issue of "Conflict and Society" (Berghahn, 2018),several articles in other peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes,organization of a panel at PACSA 2017, have developed and submitted an application for funding to HORIZON 2020: SEC-06 FCT 2016 (August 2016)and for SAMRISK II (February 2017), master course on radicalization (Aarhus University 2017), newspaper articles, papers at academic conferences (both in Scandinavia/EU) and seminars for stakeholders/end users, one popular science report (2018), final conference (2018).

This project focuses on the Scandinavian countries` effort against radicalization and violent extremism. Taking the three national action plans against radicalization as point of departure, we ask what discourses on what levels inform preventive actions a nd how they impact `suspect communities` and society at large. In all three countries, civil society and the local communities are given responsibility in detecting groups and individuals `vulnerable` to radicalization, and to implement suitable preventiv e actions. This project intend to explore how categories of potentially `vulnerable` individuals and groups are created; within their relevant local historical and social context. We furthermore ask how the insecurity and ambivalence around radicalization and successful measures might impact levels of trust and distrust within society - and within different groups. Empirically our starting point of study will be settings in which different agents, who are involved in defining radicalization, interact. Sta rting off with participant observation in these settings we aim at generating a multi-sited research approach, which follows the different groups involved. Discourses of radicalization will serve as our threads and conjunction, which interlink the two mai n fields of our investigation: a) Discourses and ideas of radicalization and the creation of potential target group; b) the impact of targeting certain groups on these groups and the individuals. Data collection will take place in Danish, Swedish and Norw egian communities thereby hopefully generate knowledge that will contribute to improve preventive action.