Analyses of disengagement: The dimensions of disillusion and violence

• In Event: Violent Extremism and Organized Crime in Sweden 2

Abstract

Based on life history interviews with violent extremists in Sweden, this paper explores the dynamic process of disengagement from violent extremism. A common reason for disengagement, the literature suggests, is disillusionment. One form of disillusionment comes from experiences of violence; the activist's romantic ideal of violence is replaced by reality of violence, leading to disillusionment. In contrast, using a narrative approach, the paper pays attention to the interviewees' lived experiences of violent actions, and suggests a more complex relationship between violence and disillusionment, and thus of disengagement. Policy implications are discussed.  

Author

• Christoffer Carlsson, Stockholm University / Swedish Institute for Futures Studies