As a result of the Christchurch shooting in 2019 by Brenton Tarrant, ecofascism suddenly gained a lot of attention in research. Where most studies focussed on the origins, definition and...Show moreAs a result of the Christchurch shooting in 2019 by Brenton Tarrant, ecofascism suddenly gained a lot of attention in research. Where most studies focussed on the origins, definition and implications of ecofascism, few studies tried to understand the justifications ecofascists used to justify their violent narratives. Therefore, in this thesis the following research question was answered: How do ecofascists try to justify their violent extremist ideas? To this extent, Sykes and Matza’s 1957 neutralization techniques were applied to the manifestos written by Brenton Tarrant and Patrick Crusius through a deductively coded narrative analysis. Sykes and Matza’s 1957 neutralization techniques have been very important for the field of narrative criminology and have proved to be promising for the field of extremism too. It was concluded that both perpetrators used the denial of the victim, condemnation of the condemners and appeal to higher loyalties neutralization techniques, to create a narrative in which extremist violence is not only acceptable, but also necessary for the betterment of the greater good. These findings are in line with previous research which incorporated the neutralization techniques in extremism research.Show less
For years, Mexicans have migrated to the United States in search of the American Dream. From the moment a Mexican becomes an American citizen, the immigrant is expected to assimilate to the country...Show moreFor years, Mexicans have migrated to the United States in search of the American Dream. From the moment a Mexican becomes an American citizen, the immigrant is expected to assimilate to the country’s culture and politics. This thesis addresses whether these assimilating immigrants actually have any influence on local politics in Texas, specifically El Paso, since 1965. The research answers this question from an individual and local-level perspective of first person accounts in El Paso Texas on political discontent and influence, as well as a local perspective on the assimilation of Mexican immigrants in El Paso.This type of study has not been done before on the local level in El Paso and therefore helps contribute to research on Mexican immigration. Historians and sociologists have focused mainly on the difficulties Mexicans face when migrating into the US, but have not explored the after-effects of these migrations. Three main topics create the foundation of this research, namely assimilation, political representation, and immigration policies for Mexican immigrants in El Paso, Texas. By using literary research as well as interviews with Mexicans who live or have lived in, or close to, El Paso it was found that Mexican immigrants are assimilating to American ways, yet they remain distant when it comes to politics. Because of this distance and disinterest in the subject, Mexicans have little-to-no influence on the politics of the country. Because of the growth in their population, they have become increasingly powerful and have managed to increase their representatives in politics. Yet, when it comes to officially voting or changing policies, Mexican immigrants do not practice this power. Thus, it is very unlikely that there will be a lot of influence on politics by the Mexican community. There has been an increasing influence on the representation of Mexicans, which has empowered them slightly; however, the Mexican community is so detached from the local political system, that it is not likely to create major changes in politics in the coming years.Show less
