Prentice, Sheryl and Taylor, Paul (2023) European trends in polarisation and resilience. In: Routledge Handbook of Violent Extremism and Resilience. Routledge Handbook of Violent Extremism and Resilience . Routledge, London, pp. 51-70. ISBN 9781032211695
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
This chapter explores how polarisation and resilience are currently framed and experienced within their socio-economic, historic, cultural, and communication-based contexts via a thematic, conceptual analysis. It also examines how the popularity of some conceptualisations of polarisation and resilience have evolved and which now dominate academic, practitioner, and governmental understanding. The data are drawn from the European Commission-funded ‘Building Resilience against Violent Extremism and Polarisation’ (BRaVE) project (2019–2021), which sought to gain a deeper understanding of polarisation and resilience across Europe. The project conducted a comprehensive review of various perspectives on these phenomena, including those of academics from multiple disciplines, practitioners, and governments. Its findings, presented here, suggest a cross-context focus on the themes of group identity, understanding, and (to a certain extent) education, with some contexts foregrounding particular issues, such as the challenges of addressing polarisation in increasingly diverse societies. Moreover, the data suggest that key actors in this space are speaking to differing priorities. The chapter will seek to determine the reasons behind variabilities and shifts in academic, practitioner, and policymaking trends in perceptions and understanding, the real-world impact of observed patterns, and what foci may soon emerge in the discussion and implementation of polarisation and resilience-building in Europe.