What Kind of Group Is Antifa
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6307993 |
|---|---|
| Authors | José Rilla (0000-0002-0187-2228, Centre Raymond Aron, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris, France, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 81-100 |
| Publication date | 2024-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | New Political Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0739-3148 • E-ISSN: 1469-9931 |
| Publisher | Duke University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1080/07393148.2024.2303221 |
| OpenAlex | W4391169223 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 12 |
In the United States, the first presidential debate of 2020 featured a discussion about Antifa. While Biden argued that Antifa is “an idea, not an organization,” Trump portrayed it as a “dangerous, radical group.” The nature of Antifa sparks disagreements not only in politics but also in scholarly circles. Some view it as a loosely defined label for a fragmented collective. Others perceive it as a gang or a radical social movement. This article identifies four key factors that make it difficult to define Antifa: the anonymity of its members, the lack of identifiable representatives, the ambiguous affiliation boundaries, and the influence of external agents (including reporters, pundits, and detractors) shaping its identity. Faced with this challenge, I propose stepping back to reevaluate the underlying assumptions of the debate. I seek to complement current theories of social ontology and collective action by introducing an alternative approach centered around the concept of personification
Action (physics · Anonymity · Collective action · Collective identity · Complement (music · Computer security · Epistemology · Identity (music · Key (lock · Law and economics · Political science · Politics · Presidential system · Social group · Social identity theory · Social science · Sociology · Computer Science · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Law · Management and Organizational Studies · Psychology · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Social Psychology
The Concept of Representation
Ideology
Social Ontology
Joint Commitment
Langage et pouvoir symbolique
Social movements
Towards a General Theory of Political Representation
The Difference Uniforms Make
The masked demos
Antifa, Street Gangs, and the Importance of Group Processes
On Public Protest, Violence, and Street Gangs
Militant Antifascism
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |