De-radicalization and the Crisis of Masculinity

Stewart M. Hoover and Curtis D. Coats of Religion Dispatches recently published a piece examining the intersection of contemporary masculinity, religion, and the current political climate. They argue that the commonality among Trump supporters, ISIS Western recruits, and anti-government militias is their search for maleness or masculinity, defined as “provision, protection, and purpose.” Thus, the surplus of such movements can be explained as the reaction of men who’ve seen their possibilities for concrete provision and protection shrink because of impersonal economic forces—and thus seek out a cause that appears fundamentally purposive, regardless of what it is. Any de-radicalization efforts, then, must include spaces where men “might express purpose in ways that lead to service and civic engagement instead of to hostility and violence.” The full article is available here.

Photo by Evan Guest  CC by 2.0