Xander Kirke's research focuses on the role that political myths and ontological security play in terrorism, extremism, and radicalisation. He has investigated the role of political myths in extremist material, such as the online al-Qaeda magazine Inspire, that seek to radicalise predominately young people into acts of terrorism. Using insights from existentialist and phenomenological philosophy, he has highlighted how political myths are deployed in order to provide potential recruits with a sense of significance and thereby encourage violence.
Xander is also currently exploring how certain identities are mobilised by the radical and far-right in unlikely ways. In particular, how some radical right rhetoric has shifted to appeal to LGBTQ+ people - although this rhetoric is mostly targeted towards cisgender homosexuals. He has several upcoming projects investigating the radical right, political myths, and ontologial security.
Politics PhD March 09 2017
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