In recent weeks, right-wing extremism has spilled onto the streets of Australian capitals, with neo-Nazis appearing on the steps of Victoria’s parliament and conservative Catholics intimidating citizens in Sydney’s suburbs.

In this RSA Webinar, Dr Josh Roose, author of The New Demagogues: Religion, Masculinity and the Populist Epoch, will present on the re-emergence of extremism and political populism in Australia and other Western countries.

He will explore the deep roots to the problem, including increasing economic dislocation, the rise of ‘ideological masculinity’, the return to textualism in Christianity and impact of social media, and what can be done in response.

Dr Roose is a political sociologist and Associate Professor at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Deakin University.