Mainstreaming as a meta-process

A systematic review and conceptual model of factors contributing to the mainstreaming of radical and extremist positions

Dados Bibliográficos

ID14995083
AutoresSophia Rothut (0000-0003-0990-8034, Department of Media and Communication, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich , Munich, Germany), Heidi Schulze (0000-0003-0079-9169, Department of Media and Communication, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich , Munich, Germany), Diana Rieger (0000-0002-2417-0480, Department of Media and Communication, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich , Munich, Germany), Brigitte Naderer (0000-0002-7256-7941, Medical University of Vienna)
Ano2024
Volume34
Fascículo2
Páginas49-59
Data de publicação2024-04-30
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoCommunication Theory (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1050-3293 • E-ISSN: 1468-2885
EditoraOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/ct/qtae001
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas32
Referências citadas52

Over the past decade, extremists have increasingly aimed to integrate their ideologies into the center of society by changing the presentation of their narratives to appeal to a larger audience. This process is termed (strategic) mainstreaming. Although this phenomenon is not new, the factors that contribute to the mainstreaming of radical and extremist ideas have not been systematically summarized. To identify elements fostering mainstreaming dynamics, we conducted a systematic literature review of N = 143 studies. The results demonstrate that mainstreaming’s gradual and long-term nature makes it particularly difficult to operationalize, which is why it often remains a buzzword. In this article, we propose a novel conceptualization of mainstreaming, understanding it as two communicative steps (content positioning and susceptibility), and present 12 contributing factors. These factors can serve as starting points for future studies, helping to operationalize mainstreaming, empirically monitor it, and, subsequently, tackle its (long-term) effects