Radicalisation is often described as a process of ideological indoctrination; however, it is increasingly recognised as a psychological and sociocultural phenomenon deeply rooted in personal and collective quests for significance. Drawing on semi-structured life-course-history interviews with three male participants, all charged with extremist offences and participating in an Australian Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) intervention programme, this article investigates how Right-Wing Extremism (RWE) becomes a means for Australian men reclaiming their masculinity. We focus on tracing and analysing critical moments shaping the pathway to radicalisation through a gendered application of Kruglanski's Significance Quest Theory, which posits that individuals are motivated to regain significance following life events that undermine their self-worth. This research is significant for two reasons. First, we present rare qualitative data foregrounding the voices of right-wing extremists who are of concern to Australian authorities. Second, given that gendered considerations regarding radicalisation and extremism remain under-developed, we present a blended framework drawing on concepts and theories associated with both critical masculinity studies and Significance Quest Theory (SQT) to enhance our understanding of right-wing identification, specifically the affective dimensions of extremism and the radicalisation process. The article concludes by considering the implications for this work in a time of heightened RWE.
Young et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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