ARENAS researcher, Gwenaëlle Bauvois (University of Helsinki) was invited on September 6. 2024 to be a keynote speaker for the Current Issues Seminar “Extremes” at the University of Turku (Finland). This seminar was organised by the Turku Institute for Advanced Studies (TIAS) which promotes cutting-edge research in humanities and social sciences and the John Morton Center for North American Studies whose mission is to cater for transdisciplinary dialogue and synergy among Finnish and international North American Studies scholars as well as representatives of the public and media.
In the ARENAS project, Gwenaëlle works – as a sociologist – on the circulation of extremist narratives (Work Package 3) and the influence and spread of extremist narratives (Work Package 4). This event was an opportunity to present and discuss these important themes from the ARENAS project, alongside fellow Finnish and American scholars, for a varied audience of undergrad and master students as well as Ph.D. researchers, Postdocs and Professors.
Gwenaëlle’s keynote lecture looked at tracing back the roots of extremist narratives in Finland and beyond. Indeed, since 2010, far-right parties have gained power in several European countries, including Finland. One may wonder: Have politics become “extreme”? To understand this current situation, we need to look back. The extremist narratives we are encountering today did not emerge in a vacuum. Identifying their origins and roots is essential for analysing their current spread in political and media spheres, as well as their impact on democracy. This talk explored how extremist narratives have evolved and transformed, especially around the themes of nation and gender. Gwenaëlle focused on Finland as a case study while linking it to the broader European context to highlight both the transnational spread of extremist narratives and their shared characteristics.
The event fostered lively discussions both with the audience and with the scholarly community of the Turku Institute for Advanced Studies and the John Morton Center for North American Studies. ARENAS generated significant interest among participants from various backgrounds and disciplines, contributing numerous new ideas and perspectives that can be applied to our project.
