Cogent Arts & Humanities

Extremism takes on various forms, making it challenging to unequivocally define and identify. It permeates language, thought and action, and is often concealed within conventional expressions that reflect specific worldviews, norms, and expectations. It lies dormant in metaphors and idioms shaping our conceptualizations about individuals or groups of people, perpetuating stereotypes, and normalizing attitudes. Even when hidden, extremism is even more influential and potent in its inconspicuousness. It may, however, just as well be blatant and unabashed and manifest in radical language and hate speech deliberately aiming to offend or disparage others. It is important to acknowledge the subtle yet powerful role that language plays in framing and reinforcing extreme ideologies. language provides a framework for our thoughts and molds our perception of the world, including its social and political dimensions. It is not only our internal stream of narration that we should be aware of, but more importantly, the discourse that we are exposed to as members of societies and consumers of media. The political discourse is an obvious case of narration that is often deliberately structured in such a way as to shape our understanding of the world. However, there is more to ‘political extremism’ than the political discourse sensu stricte.

This Article Collection will explore the language of political extremism in a broad sense. We will consider a number of contexts in order to look for the common denominator that they share. In doing so, we attempt to answer an ever-eluding question of the definition of extremism. What exactly does political extremism consist of and what kind of language can be considered radical? Is far-right extremism in any way similar to fanatical religiosity or extreme leftist ideology? Are they equally harmful or quite the contrary - similarly harmless?

Papers analyzing mainstream political discourse are welcome, but also those in which the definition of the ‘political’ is expanded to include the discourses of fringe movements and subcultures. Contributions exploring either end of the political spectrum ranging from far-right to the radical left are particularly encouraged. Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Far-right/ultra-nationalistic discourses, including themes of white supremacism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and anti-immigration
• Far-left/extreme leftism, including what some consider belligerent progressivism of the so called woke culture
• Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, whether overtly homophobic/transphobic or disguised as a defence of traditional values and/or religious morals
• Historical negationism, such as Holocaust denialism, and other conspiracy theories built on pseudoscience or pseudohistory
• Religious fanaticism, and religious fundamentalism, not restricted to any particular religion of theme
• Misogynist and sexist discourse, including the narratives prevalent in the so called Manosphere in general, and online communities such as incels in particular

We also welcome attempts to answer the question of the normalization of extreme attitudes and language. What are the mechanisms through which this normalization is achieved (humor, memeification, other)? What does the normalization result in (legitimization of certain behaviors, desensitization to hate speech)?

We invite contributions following various methodologies, including, but not limited to:

•  Metaphor and metonymy research
• Conceptual integration analysis
• Critical discourse analysis
• Cognitive semantics and pragmatics

In addition to research focusing on political extremism’s linguistic construction, we also encourage research featuring multimodal analyses. Extremism spreads fast via the digital landscape and is pervasive on various internet websites, forums, and social media platforms. Given the multimodal nature of this digital environment it is important to recognize the significance of other, non-verbal modes of communication. Political viewpoints and ideological stances are often conveyed through mediums such as cartoons, posters or memes offering a valuable insight into the topic.

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member). Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions  prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 01 December 2024.

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Ewelina Prażmo is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. Her researched is focused on cognitive linguistics, particularly conceptual metaphor and metonymy, as well as conceptual integration theory. She explores linguistic dehumanisation strategies directed at women and minorities, investigates semantic potentials of words and expressions to spread misinformation and reinforce stereotypes, and examines cognitive aspects of translation, including cognitive poetics. Her other areas of interest and expertise include gestures and sign languages. She has published in peer-reviewed journals such as: Linguistics Vanguard, Language and Dialogue, English Language and Linguistics, Journal of Language and Politics, Pragmatics and Cognition.

Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2593-6799

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Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Dr. Prażmo has no Conflict of Interest to disclose.

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