The book Changing Working Life and the Appeal of the Extreme Right investigates the interplay of the recent transformation of working life and the growing appeal of political right-wing populism and extremism in Europe.

The book Changing Working Life and the Appeal of the Extreme Right, edited by Jörg Flecker from FORBA (Forschungs- und Beratungsstelle Arbeitswelt), investigates the interplay of the recent transformation of working life and the growing appeal of political right-wing populism and extremism in Europe: Indeed there is a strong relation between these two circumstances.

The book works with both, qualitative and quantitative interviews, and analyzes the relation between right wing extremism and changed working conditions in eight European countries: Austria, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland.

Many explanations

It is an excellent piece of social sciences that allows a deeper insight into the argumentation lines why and in which ways “winners” and “losers” of modernisation match with the offers of right-wing parties. The first important finding of the book shows, that there does not exist only one explanation for the rise of right-wing populism. Even if the explanation focuses on socio-economic changes.

There are several arguments that explain right wing party affinity and changes in working life: the fear of “déclassement”, feelings of insecurity and powerlessness, weakened social protection and an ideology of success. Especially blue-collar workers and white-collar workers who’s working conditions have deteriorated seem to be attracted by right-wing parties because they feel frustrated about “those up there” (politicians and managers) and fear respectively feel wronged opposite “those further down” (long-term unemployed, immigrants and asylum-seekers).

A new Social Darwinism

I already mentioned the “winners” who are also attracted by right-wing parties. I think that is the most important finding of this book: Even if supporters of right-wing populist parties are somewhat less educated and members of the so-called “lower classes”, this picture cannot be generalized. Some “winners” of modernisation seem to be very competitive; they strongly identify with their company and are attracted by individualistic views. They believe that some social groups should dominate others and practise some kind of Social Darwinism.

With this finding in mind, Jörg Flecker argues in his conclusion and policy implications that “at the societal level, this would mean preventing competitiveness form becoming a dominant value, which would actually necessitate reconsidering much of the political discourse at European Union level.” (Flecker, S.242). However, unfortunately the given examples of arguments in qualitative interviews of right-wing attraction by “winners” are very rare in the book while the authors attach great importance to it.

The construction of the Others

This book is an important contribution to the understanding of and the future research on the effects of changing working life on individuals the attraction of right-wing populist parties. It contains also a deeper understanding why the constructions of immigrants as the Others are so successful in recent times.

At this point I also want to recommend the book Die populistische Lücke - Umbrüche in der Arbeitswelt und Aufstieg des Rechtspopulismus am Beispiel Österreichs which deals with the results of research especially for Austria. It contains much more information about the individual qualitative interviews with the so called "winners" and "losers".

About the Editor

Jörg Flecker is Director of the Forschungs- und Beratungsstelle Arbeitswelt (FORBA) in Vienna and external Professor of Economic Sociology at the University of Vienna. His main fields of research are work organization, flexibility, new technology and internationalization. He was the co-ordinator of the European project Socio-economic change, individual reactions and the appeal of the extreme right (SIREN) and currently co-ordinates the qualitative research within Work Organization and Restructuring in the Knowledge Society (WORKS), an Integrated Project in the ECs 6th Framework Programme.

Buchtipps

Jörg Flecker (ed.): Changing Working Life and the Appeal of the Extreme Right, Aldershot, Ashgate Publishing, 2007.

Jörg Flecker & Sabine Kirschenhofer: Die populistische Lücke – Umbrüche in der Arbeitswelt und Aufstieg des Rechtspopulismus am Beispiel Österreichs, Berlin, Edition Sigma, 2007.