extremism
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Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied shared social consensus) to be far outside the mainstream attitudes of society. It can also be used in an economic context. The term may be used pejoratively by opposing groups, but is also used in academic and journalistic circles in a purely descriptive and non-condemning sense.
Extremism refers to holding or promoting political, religious, or economic views that are considered far outside what mainstream society accepts as normal or reasonable. The term matters because it describes ideologies that can drive significant social conflict, though how people label something as "extreme" often depends on their own perspective and values.
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~12 min read
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Definitions
- Difference from radicalism
- Theories of extremism
- Psychological
- Criticism of term
- Other terms
- See also
- References
- Citations
- Cited publications
- Further reading
- External links
Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied shared social consensus) to be far outside the mainstream attitudes of society. It can also be used in an economic context. The term may be used pejoratively by opposing groups, but is also used in academic and journalistic circles in a purely descriptive and non-condemning sense.
Extremists' views are typically contrasted with those of moderates. Political agendas perceived as extremist often include those from the far-left politics or far-right politics, as well as radicalism, reactionism, chauvinism, fundamentalism, and fanaticism. Extremist groups will differ in their preference for violent extremism vs. nonviolent extremism.