Activist, Criminal, or Viking? Contested Images of the Soldiers of Odin

• In Event: Activism and Criminal Justice

Abstract

Several European countries have experienced a rise in the number of extremist groups during the refugee crisis. Some of these groups, like Pegida, expand beyond the country of origin but then fizzle out. The Soldiers of Odin, with roots in Finland, has managed to escape this fate. Organizational chapters spread very quickly throughout Norway, capturing the attention of national and international new sources. As knowledge of the organization has grown, the group has struggled to control their image under the scrutiny of the public and media. The purpose of this paper is to examine these contestations though the lens of cultural criminology. To that end, I rely on data collected during field research, newspaper articles, and social media.

Author

• Tammy Castle, James Madison University