ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to examine contemporary racist movements and their place and impact in the political arena. After outlining contemporary racist movements, their diverse manifestations and ideological and historical roots, and the relationship between organisations and the individual, we examine a range of approaches to defining and researching such movements. Beyond an outline of the commonly used terminology, and debates in the field, we discuss whether the choice of said terminology can sometimes sideline focus and analysis of racism. We then explore the position of racist movements in the ‘post-racial’ era, where they stand in for racism itself, and the impact of such positionality. Finally, we will look at the adaptation of the far right to liberal contexts, and its mainstreaming, which challenges concepts such as ‘extremist’ and the function of racist movements as the embodiment of racism.
