Karlsruhe Dialogues 2009

Dr. Reiner Becker

Speaker 

 

Reiner Becker was born in 1971. He studied political science, sociology and philosophy at the Georg-August-University in Göttingen/Germany and the Philipps-University in Marburg/Germany. In the year 2004 he received a fellowship in the post graduate programme Gruppenbezogene Menschenfeindlichkeit at the Universities of Marburg and Bielefeld and completed his dissertation in June 2007 on the topic “Ein normales Familienleben. Interaktion und Kommunikation zwischen rechten Jugendlichen und ihren Eltern.” It dealt with the communication between young right-wing extremist people and their parents.

Since 2007 he is scientific assistant at the Institute for Educational Science at the Philipps-University Marburg and works in the local coordination centre of the consulting network Hesse/mobile intervention against right-wing extremism. This project, which is carried out in cooperation with the land office of criminal investigation, deals with people, who are confronted with right-wing extremist activities. Becker works on the documentation and self-evaluation as well as the scientific analysis of consulting processes.

In cooperation with the Hessian centre for political education he also participates in the research project “Rechte Jugendcliquen in Hessen”. In this project it is analysed, how right-wing extremist cliques behave and act, while the focus lies on the political and educational reaction in Hessian communities. In addition, Becker engages himself in charitable projects, such as in the Jugend-Arbeits-Kreis Oberscheld (JAKOB e.V.). This association wants to support young people in the region and to show them future perspectives. The association forum | pädagogik offers an intercommunication between experts of right-wing extremism. Becker’s main fields of interest are theories, dimensions and forms of appearance of right-wing extremism, theories about civic involvement and the local public.

He has written several publications on these topics, such as the article “Zwischen Bedeutungslosigkeit und lokalen Zentren. Die extreme Rechte nach den Wahlen” (together with Prof. Dr. Benno Hafeneger, forthcoming in: „Praxis politische Bildung. Materialien, Analysen, Diskussionen“).

ZAK asked Dr. Reiner Becker to answer the following question:

What Can Citizens do Against Right-Wing Extremism? 

"Rightist extremist ideologies tie in with existing prejudices against weak groups at the “centre of society” – here it is essential to take up a stance and to get involved, if necessary, including dealing (self-)critically with forms of prejudices that one encounters in everyday life: at school, at work or at the club. Because commitment against rightist extremists is preceded by commitment for democratic values and values upholding human dignity.voraus."