Nostalgia and Hope: Intersections between Politics of Culture, Welfare, and Migration in Europe

This open access book shows how the politics of migration affect community building in the 21st century, drawing on both retrogressive and progressive forms of mobilization. It elaborates theoretically and shows empirically how the two master frames of nostalgia and hope are used in local, national and transnational settings, in and outside conventional forms of doing politics. It expands on polarized societal processes and external events relevant for the transformation of European welfare systems and the reproduction of national identities today. It evidences the importance of gender in the narrative use of the master frames of nostalgia and hope, either as an ideological tool for right-wing populist and extreme right retrogressive mobilization or as an essential element of progressive intersectional politics of hope. It uses both comparative and single case studies to address different perspectives, and by means of various methodological approaches, the manner in which the master frames of nostalgia and hope are articulated in the politics of culture, welfare, and migration. The book is organized around three thematic sections whereby the first section deals with right-wing populist party politics across Europe, the second section deals with an articulation of politics beyond party politics by means of retrogressive mobilization, and the third and last section deals with emancipatory initiatives beyond party politics as well.

Chapter 1 Nostalgia and Hope: Narrative Master Frames across Contemporary Europe: Anders Hellström, Ov Cristian Norocel, and Martin Bak Jørgensen -- Section I Right-Wing Populist Party Politics Across Europe: Chapter 2 Trouble in the Homeland: How Cultural Identity and Welfare Politics Merge in Contemporary Danish and Swedish Politics: Anders Hellström and Mahama Tawat -- Chapter 3 The Discursive Denial of Racism by Finnish Populist Radical Right Politicians Accused of Anti-Muslim Hate-Speech: Katarina Pettersson -- Chapter 4 Nostalgic Nationalism, Welfare Chauvinism, and Migration Anxieties in Central and Eastern Europe: Radu Cinpoeş and Ov Cristian Norocel -- Chapter 5 What Makes Turkey and Turkish Immigrants a Cultural Polarization Issue in Europe? Evidence from European Right-wing Populist Politics: Gokay Özerim and Selcen Öner -- Section II Retrogressive Mobilizations Outside The Political Arena: Chapter 6 The Trans-European Mobilization of “Generation Identity”: Anita Nissen -- Chapter 7 Endangered Swedish Values: Immigration, Gender Equality, and “Migrants’ Sexual Violence”: Emil Edenborg -- Chapter 8 Invented Nostalgia: The Search for Identity among the Hungarian Far-right: Katherine Kondor and Mark Littler -- Chapter 9 “Retrotopia” as a Retrogressive Force in the German PEGIDA-movement” Andreas Önnerfors -- Section III Emancipatory Initiatives Mobilizing Beyond Politics: Chapter 10 Challenging Misconceptions: Danish Civil Society in Times of Crisis: Martin Bak Jørgensen and Daniel Rosengren Olsen -- Chapter 11 “Impossible” Activism and the Right to be Understood: The Emergent Refugee Rights Movement in Finland: Camilla Haavisto -- Chapter 12 Hope as Master Frame in Feminist Mobilization: Between Liberal NGO-ization and Radical-Intersectional Street Politics: Alexandra Ana -- Chapter 13 Latin American Transnational Political Engagement: Steering Civic Movements and Cultural Repertoires from the Global City of Brussels: Larisa Lara-Guerrero and María Vivas-Romero -- Chapter 14 Civil Society between Populism and Anti-Populism: Carlo Ruzza.