Dissertation
Rebranding White Supremacy: An Analysis of the National Policy Institute
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000003112
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/122355
Abstract
Our understanding of white supremacy is outdated and inaccurate. Images of hooded klansmen or tattooed neo-Nazis no longer represent the average white supremacist. A new image-conscious generation of white supremacists have turned away from burning crosses and Nazi salutes, opting instead for professional conferences and business suits. Twenty-first century white supremacists have rebranded themselves. One particular group, the National Policy Institute (NPI), typifies this phenomenon. NPI and its president, Richard Spencer became household names in 2016 and have played the role of political advocacy group so well that media pundits and journalists were perplexed. I assert that relying on stereotypes and caricatures of white supremacists has prevented many from noticing the slow but steady changes in the movement. These outdated images prevented many from noticing their growing numbers until they stepped into the national spotlight during the 2016 campaign season. I argue that it is time to reexamine old concepts of white supremacist groups and make a concerted effort to exam these groups in a structured and systematic way. I created a theoretical framework, using Social Identity Theory in harmony with frame analysis theories from media studies and political communication. I tested this framework through a structured, focused case study of NPI. I assessed the group’s worldview and framing in order to better understand who they are and how they were able to access mainstream political and social discourse when previous white supremacist groups had not. An analysis of NPIs worldview reveals them to be undoubtedly a white supremacist organization. but that their framing, their use of the trappings of academia, coded racism, and appropriated civil rights language creates an institutional legitimacy frame through which the public see them. I argue that deliberate manipulation of their image and careful language choice allowed NPI to enjoy greater political effectiveness than their peers and predecessors.
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Details
- Title
- Rebranding White Supremacy: An Analysis of the National Policy Institute
- Creators
- Pip Marie Cawley
- Contributors
- Tom Preston (Advisor)Season Hoard (Committee Member)Anthony Lopez (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 229
- Identifiers
- 99900651794001842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation