Analisi visuale e mobilitazione politica della destra radicale. Una prospettiva di movimento sociale

Images are very important for social movements, even radical ones. Yet the study and application of visual analysis to the field of the radical right and its mobilisation is not (yet?) widespread and, at best, fragmented. Empirical studies are reluctant to integrate visual materials as relevant data for understanding the politics of the radical right. This article critically outlines this new – and growing – strand of research. It examines in detail the method of visual analysis applied to the study of radical right-wing actors (including parties and movements)-their political participation, communication and organisational dynamics-offering empirical case studies from Europe and beyond to illustrate the argument. The advantages (and challenges) of using visual analysis for the study of right-wing mobilisation will be examined, as well as the necessary methodological steps of this approach: from the conceptualisation of what ‘an image’ is, to research design, data collection and analysis, with a focus on online sources. An analytical grid will be proposed to systematise and interpret existing research on visual analysis and the radical right, and suggest promising new lines of future research.