Peripherisierungsdeutungen und Rechtsextremismus: Erkenntnisse aus einer ländlich geprägten Kleinstadt im Freistaat Sachsen

Mittwoch (20. September 2023), 16:30–18:00

SH 1.103

The German free state of Saxony experienced strongly uneven regional developments in the past decades. Prosperous centres were contrasted by rural communities facing economic difficulties, outmigration, demographic shrinkage, and aging. In the latter, far-right parties have consistently achieved high election results in recent years. This congress contribution aims to provide a spatially aensitive explanation of the high approval ratings of right-wing extremist parties in peripheralized municipalities. Through research based on a rural small town in Saxony, connections between peripheralization (Kühn 2016) and the support of far-right parties can be demonstrated on a municipality level with qualitative data. For this purpose, qualitative interviews were conducted with local representatives from politics, administration, and civil society. These were evaluated using a qualitative content analysis (Mayring 2000). It can be shown that the peripheralization processes in the small town are predominantly interpreted negatively. Parts of the population feel 'left behind' (Deppisch 2019, 2020). Related fears, such as of a lack of supply or financial descent, benefit right-wing parties. Possibilities to counteract feelings of being left behind and to strengthen local democracy under conditions of peripheralization are outlined. Deppisch, L. (2019): "Wo sich Menschen auf dem Land abgehängt fühlen, hat der Populismus freie Bahn" - eine Analyse des populär-medialen Diskurses zu der Bedeutung von Infrastrukturverfall, Abstiegsangst und rechten (extremistischen) Werten für den Zuspruch zum Rechtspopulismus. Deppisch, L. (2020): ‚Gefühle des Abgehängtseins‘ – ein Angstdiskurs. In: Martin, S./Linpinsel, T. (Hrsg.): Angst und Regression - gesellschafts- und kulturwissenschaftliche Perspektiven. 1. Aufl. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH; SPRINGER VS: 179–203. Kühn, M. (2016): Peripherisierung und Stadt. Städtische Planungspolitiken gegen den Abstieg: transcript Verlag. Mayring, P. (2000): Qualitative Content Analysis. In: Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research 1 (2).