Displaying 1 - 20 of 84 articles
What QAnon supporters, butthole sunners and New Age spiritualists have incommon
Christopher T. Conner, University of Missouri-Columbia
New Age beliefs, alternative wellness practices and political conspiracies all fall under the umbrella of stigmatized knowledge, which can be attractive to anyone, no matter their political leanings.
Descartes and the deep state: what 17th-century philosophy reveals about Trump andQAnon
Taylor Matthews, University of Southampton
Ideas used by conspiracy theorists hark back to those of 17th-century philosophers such as René Descartes.
Why rural white Americans’ resentment is a threat todemocracy
Thomas F. Schaller, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Rural white people have long held disproportionate power in US politics. But polls suggest their commitments to the American political system are eroding.
Conspiracy theorist tactics show it’s too easy to get around Facebook’s contentpolicies
Amelia Johns, University of Technology Sydney; Emily Booth, University of Technology Sydney; Francesco Bailo, University of Sydney, and Marian-Andrei Rizoiu, University of Technology Sydney
New research shows that even after Facebook made changes to stem the tide of dangerous pandemic misinformation, some accounts continued to thrive.
Why do millions of Americans believe the 2020 presidential election was ‘stolen’ from DonaldTrump?
Jérôme Viala-Gaudefroy, CY Cergy Paris Université
Nearly a third of Americans say they believe that Donald Trump was the real winner of the last election, and the ratio is twice as high among Republican voters.
How liberal conspiracy theories can be just as destructive as their extremist counterparts
Tom Sykes, University of Portsmouth and Stephen Harper, University of Portsmouth
The liberal establishment can also be responsible for disseminating conspiracy theories.
Why have authoritarianism and libertarianism merged? A political psychologist on ‘the vulnerability of the modernself’
Barry Richards, Bournemouth University
It is now not uncommon to find people supporting leaders like Donald Trump while insisting the state refrains from intervening in their lives.
Satanism, ritual cults and Hollywood: debunking ‘satanic panic’ conspiracytheories
Bethan Juliet Oake, University of Leeds
Satanic rituals and Hollywood elites: the myths behind satanism conspiracy theories.
Fear and loathing in South Africa: book examines how anxiety plays out in everydaylife
Nicky Falkof, University of the Witwatersrand
Fear has important consequences for how people vote, what they spend their money on, who they consider to be part of their communities, and who they treat as outsiders.
Debate: The multiple paradoxes of Meta and MarkZuckerberg
Elise Berlinski, Copenhagen Business School
Mark Zuckerberg says he wants the world to be more “open and connected”, but his decision to block archiving the company’s social media content argues otherwise.
Fear and loathing in New Zealand: an overdue examination of our ‘underworld of extremists’ is valuable butflawed
Chris Wilson, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
A new book examining New Zealand’s extreme and alt-right movements tackles an important issue. But it could have defined its terms better and provided more evidence for its claims.
QAnon is spreading outside the US – a conspiracy theory expert explains what that couldmean
Robert M. Dover, University of Hull
The mysterious QAnon network is becoming an international movement, and an estimated 22% of Americans back one of its core beliefs.
Are conspiracy theorists true believers, or are they just acting outfantasies?
Daniel Munro, University of Toronto
The key to understanding online conspiracy theorists is to understand how the line between fantasy and reality can become blurred.
How a divided America, including the 15% who are ‘MAGA Republicans,’ splits on QAnon, racism and armed patrols at pollingplaces
Garen Wintemute, University of California, Davis
What deep-dive polls reveal at the political landscape of America as the 2022 midterm election approaches.
From QAnon to The Sandman: how demons found a place in popularculture
Zohar Hadromi Allouche, Trinity College Dublin and S. Jonathon O'Donnell, Queen's University Belfast
Religious belief in the devil may have declined, but western demons are alive and well in popular culture and contemporary politics.
Politicians dropping the F-bomb: There’s more to it than you mightthink
Sarah Shulist, Queen's University, Ontario and Hannah McElgunn, Queen's University, Ontario
Politicians dropping the f-bomb tend to be seen as acting out of emotion, but the way we use taboo language is often about what we can accomplish by violating rules.
Conspiracy theories are dangerous even if they don’t affectbehaviour
Lara Millman, Dalhousie University
Many of those who believe conspiracy theories do not necessarily act on those beliefs. Nevertheless, conspiracy theories can still spread dangerous misinformation that can cause harm.
Mothers of the movement: Leadership by alt-right women paves the way forviolence
Sandra Jeppesen, Lakehead University and iowyth hezel ulthiin, Toronto Metropolitan University
Women have assumed different roles in alt-right movements, including organizing protests, spreading misinformation and organizing militias.
Romana Didulo and her followers are seeking to replace legitimate governments via their sovereign citizenship movement. Their claims are outrageous and baseless, but they must not be ignored.
Why the Jan. 6 hearings should be making corporations nervous
Robert Danisch, University of Waterloo
It’s easy to consider the erosion of democratic norms in the U.S. as purely political, but it poses serious risks to the country’s economic order. Is democracy in the gallows?
