To what extent and in what ways are socio-political actors at the grassroots level in Germany affected by aggression and violence? How do experiences of aggression and violence influence socio-political engagement? To what extent does the German public legitimize or delegitimize such aggression and violence?
These questions are at the core of the project “Violence against Grassroots Political Actors.” The focus is on psychological and physical violence against individuals who are active in socio-political organizations but are not part of formal, representative politics. Specifically, this includes members of civil society organizations active in the socio-political sphere, as well as members of political parties or party-affiliated youth organizations who have never held a political office or mandate.
Who is exposed to politically motivated violence and in what form, whose voices are at particular risk of being silenced, and to what extent public attitudes can amplify or mitigate these processes, ultimately has implications for the quality of democracy.
Project Design
The project centers on three dimensions of violence against grassroots political actors:
(1) Victimization patterns — Who is confronted with what forms of violence, and are there differences between sub-groups?
(2) Impact on socio-political activity — Do direct and indirect experiences of violence influence the scope and forms of socio-political engagement, and are there differences between sub-groups?
(3) Legitimization and delegitimization of violence within the German public — Under what conditions is violence against grassroots political actors tolerated or condemned?
To answer these questions, the project combines a large-scale survey of grassroots political actors in Germany, interviews with political actors affected by aggression and violence, and a survey among the German public.
Towards the end of the project (expected in autumn 2028), a two-day workshop will take place in Hannover, where the research findings will be discussed with international scholars as well as practitioners and stakeholders based in Germany.
