Right-Wing Populism in Comparative Perspective (ÜWP) - Detailseite

This course offers an in-depth critical analysis of right-wing populism, emphasizing its theoretical foundations, historical evolution, and contemporary empirical manifestations. Students will explore the ideological underpinnings of right-wing populism, its intersections with nationalism and authoritarian tendencies, and its broader implications for democratic governance. Through interdisciplinary scholarly literature, critical media analyses, and collaborative discussions, the course will examine how right-wing populist movements emerge, sustain, and transform within diverse political systems and cultural contexts, focusing particularly on case studies from Europe and North America. Special attention will also be given to the relationship between right-wing populism and pressing global issues such as climate change, fostering awareness of how environmental concerns are framed, instrumentalized, or denied within populist rhetoric. Lectures and course materials will be delivered in English, and students should be prepared to engage with extensive reading assignments in English.

Upon completion of this course, students will clearly define and differentiate between key concepts including right-wing populism, radical right, and extreme right. They will be capable of analyzing and critiquing the core ideological dimensions of populism and identifying the underlying factors that drive the emergence and rise of right-wing populist movements. Additionally, students will evaluate the impact of digital communication technologies on populist rhetoric and political mobilization. They will also be equipped to conduct comparative analyses of right-wing populist phenomena across different national contexts and critically assess the consequences of right-wing populism on democratic institutions, civil society, civic norms, and environmental discourse.

• Borras, S. M. (2020). Authoritarian populism and neoliberalism: Two sides of the same coin? Globalizations, 17(5), 856–873. https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2020.1748362
• Korolczuk, E., & Graff, A. (2018). Gender as 'Ebola from Brussels': The anti-colonial frame and the rise of illiberal populism. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 43(4), 797–821. https://doi.org/10.1086/696691
• Kováts, E. (2018). Limits of the human rights vocabulary in addressing inequalities: Dilemmas of justice in the age of culture wars. Social Inclusion, 6(4), 158–167. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v6i4.1720
• Mudde, C., & Rovira Kaltwasser, C. (2017). Populism: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press.
• Wodak, R. (2015). The politics of fear: What right-wing populist discourses mean. Sage.