Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bernardo Alba

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Philosophy

Committee Chair

Daniel Smith

Committee Member

Kas Saghafi

Committee Member

Shaun Gallagher

Committee Member

Verena Erlenbush-Anderson

Abstract

This dissertation explores how aesthetic experiences—not just belief-systems or ideologies—influence both the process of radicalization into, and de-radicalization out of, Far-right nationalist subcultures. It introduces the concept of “aesthetic conversion”: a profound transformative shift in how people experience and express themselves through artistic media and stylistic taste broadly understood (including but not limited to fashion, tattoos, music, dance, creative writing, public speaking, etc.). I argue that such transformations in aesthetic sensibility can spark profound ideological changes, including the possibility of fostering disengagement from such far-right movements. With this concept, I aim to show that aesthetic concerns, far from being incidental or secondary to de-radicalization, actually typically precedes, accompanies or reinforces it. As such, this project aims to show not only that people can and do change their minds with respect to far-right nationalistic doctrines, but that this is typically accompanied or occasioned by a change in how they prefer to express themselves creatively, how they style themselves and others. Alongside this, the dissertation pursues a second, related aim: to critically examine the role of critique itself within traditions of social theory. I argue that critique must not remain a purely abstract or theoretical exercise, but must be tested against empirical data to clarify its normative assumptions and assess its real-world applicability. Foregrounding multiple empirical case studies of de-radicalization, the dissertation shows how aesthetic changes—whether triggered by chance encounters, creative processes, or new cultural influences—can loosen the grip of ideological commitments. As such, this project also argues that critique gains its force when it helps us interpret and respond to the conditions under which real, concrete, living people change. Ultimately, I suggest that the discourse of critical social theory can be enriched and tested by close attention to how real individuals have navigated the intricate spaces between radicalization and de-radicalization. This project brings these two threads together by demonstrating how theories of critique be sharpened through close engagement with accounts of lived experience. While the need for both of these inquiries is discussed in depth throughout the dissertation, their combination is especially urgent in the context of resurgent far-right belief-systems in the U.S., where understanding the affective and symbolic dimensions of radicalization requires both empirical sensitivity and conceptual rigor.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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