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Local Conditions for Anti-immigrant Violence: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of Asylum Housing Attacks in Sweden

Törnberg, Anton LU ; Wahlström, Mattias ; Lunstedt, Måns and Ekbrand, Hans (2023) In Terrorism and Political Violence 35(6). p.1353-1372
Abstract (Swedish)

This study uses a novel approach to identifying local contextual conditions conducive, alone or in combination to far-right political violence. The studied case is asylum housing attacks occurring in Sweden 2015-16. Using a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of eighty-six Swedish municipalities, forty-two of which have experienced arson attacks against refugee housing facilities, we operationalize and test four hypotheses derived from the literature. These assumed the causal impact of (1) objective grievances, (2) mediated grievances combined with lack of political opportunities, (3) independent alternative media effects, and (4) broader far-right mobilization. In contrast to a number of previous studies, none of the three... (More)

This study uses a novel approach to identifying local contextual conditions conducive, alone or in combination to far-right political violence. The studied case is asylum housing attacks occurring in Sweden 2015-16. Using a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of eighty-six Swedish municipalities, forty-two of which have experienced arson attacks against refugee housing facilities, we operationalize and test four hypotheses derived from the literature. These assumed the causal impact of (1) objective grievances, (2) mediated grievances combined with lack of political opportunities, (3) independent alternative media effects, and (4) broader far-right mobilization. In contrast to a number of previous studies, none of the three first hypotheses received support. No operationalization of objective grievances, such as influxes of immigrants, poverty, or unemployment distinguished the municipalities where attacks had occurred. Nor did the local level of discursive or political opportunities. Only one of our expected causal pathways-arson attacks as an extension of a broader local far-right mobilization in the context of a supportive local public opinion-was a sufficient condition for a large proportion of our positive cases. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Terrorism and Political Violence
volume
35
issue
6
pages
1353 - 1372
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85131211751
ISSN
0954-6553
DOI
10.1080/09546553.2022.2042268
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
36ca9227-c7de-40d2-8f62-d2a06c76b2f8
date added to LUP
2022-11-01 11:36:57
date last changed
2023-10-26 14:56:42
@article{36ca9227-c7de-40d2-8f62-d2a06c76b2f8,
  abstract     = {{<br/>This study uses a novel approach to identifying local contextual conditions conducive, alone or in combination to far-right political violence. The studied case is asylum housing attacks occurring in Sweden 2015-16. Using a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of eighty-six Swedish municipalities, forty-two of which have experienced arson attacks against refugee housing facilities, we operationalize and test four hypotheses derived from the literature. These assumed the causal impact of (1) objective grievances, (2) mediated grievances combined with lack of political opportunities, (3) independent alternative media effects, and (4) broader far-right mobilization. In contrast to a number of previous studies, none of the three first hypotheses received support. No operationalization of objective grievances, such as influxes of immigrants, poverty, or unemployment distinguished the municipalities where attacks had occurred. Nor did the local level of discursive or political opportunities. Only one of our expected causal pathways-arson attacks as an extension of a broader local far-right mobilization in the context of a supportive local public opinion-was a sufficient condition for a large proportion of our positive cases.}},
  author       = {{Törnberg, Anton and Wahlström, Mattias and Lunstedt, Måns and Ekbrand, Hans}},
  issn         = {{0954-6553}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1353--1372}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Terrorism and Political Violence}},
  title        = {{Local Conditions for Anti-immigrant Violence: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of Asylum Housing Attacks in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2022.2042268}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/09546553.2022.2042268}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}