Book review: Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Hate in the Homeland: The New Global Far-Right
| Author | Jeff Gruenewald |
| DOI | 10.1177/13624806211035576 |
| Published date | 01 May 2022 |
| Date | 01 May 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
Book Reviews
Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Hate in the Homeland: The New Global Far-Right, Princeton University Press:
Princeton, NJ, 2020; 272 pp.: 9780691203836, $29.95/£25.00 (hbk)
Reviewed by: Jeff Gruenewald, University of Arkansas, USA
It is not uncommon to feel deeply connected to where one resides in ways that can
provide a deep sense of social belonging. For some, however, national identity is
shaped by extreme beliefs that one’s cultural values and way of life are under imminent
threat from “others”, including social minority groups and corrupt government officials.
These beliefs manifested into mob violence on full display during the anti-government 6
January Capitol Riots in Washington, DC when domestic violent extremists breached the
Capitol, spurred on by thousands of sympathizers convinced that the 2020 presidential
election had been stolen from their candidate, former President Donald Trump. The
Capitol Riots shocked onlookers from around the globe, resulting in questions regarding
where such radical views come from.
Although published prior to the Capitol Riots, Cynthia Miller-Idriss’sbookHate in
the Homeland: The New Global Far-Right provides a useful lens for understanding the
increasingly widespread propagation of white nationalist and anti-government views
underlying increasingly divisive political rhetoric and various forms of domestic
extremism in the 21st century. The general purpose of the book is to describe where
and when these radical views are spread by illuminating everyday spaces where
extreme discourse and ideas are packaged and delivered. Miller-Idriss relies on
decades of her own research, the work of others, and recent conversations with
researchers, journalists, policymakers, and other experts about the places where
hateful ideas are transmitted in contemporary society. A prominent theme of the
book is that the hate-filled messages about who belongs and who is unwelcome are
no longer only shared among members of fringe far-right groups. Instead, this language
isbeingespousedbyelectedofficials, incorporated into everything from clothing
brands to internet memes, and is used to influence new generations of White national-
ists in places like college campuses and mixed-martial arts (MMA) gyms. Such mes-
sages are appealing to Whites, especially White males, seeking purpose and meaning
in a society that is becoming increasingly divided and socially disconnected, and
who see their social positions changing and social power dwindling. It is in this
Theoretical Criminology
2022, Vol. 26(2) 347–353
© The Author(s) 2021
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DOI: 10.1177/13624806211035576
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