A narrative taxonomy of perpetual crisis: a systematic reading of empirical research into extremism

This paper presents a systematic review of recent empirical research into extremism to examine the definition that emerges from practice and its relationship to theoretical discourse. Drawing on 110 studies published in leading extremism and communication journals, the review highlights the productive logics – networks of authorship, methodological choices, and topic selection – that shape the empirical meaning of extremism and constrain its definitional scope.The analysis reveals a marked disconnect between the broad, multifaceted conceptualisation of extremism in theory and a narrower empirical focus. Research overwhelmingly concentrates on two categories – far/extreme right and Islamic extremism – which dominate co-authorship networks, case descriptions, and ideological analysis. These two dominant types construct crisis narratives in strikingly similar ways, using overlapping themes to justify hostility and violence, thereby challenging simple political–religious distinctions. This approach foregrounds the interplay between discourse, ideology, and research practice in constructing the meaning of extremism.