Manufacturing Phobias : The Political Production of Fear in Theory and Practice

Fear is a powerful emotion and a formidable spur to action, a source of worry and – when it is manipulated – a source of injustice. Manufacturing Phobias demonstrates how economic and political elites mobilize fears of terrorism, crime, migration, invasion, and infection to twist political and social policy and advance their own agendas. The contributors to the collection, experts in criminology, law, sociology, and politics, explain how and why social phobias are created by pundits, politicians, and the media, and how they target the most vulnerable in our society. Emphasizing how social phobias reflect the interests of those with political, economic, and cultural power, this work challenges the idea that society’s anxieties are merely expressions of individual psychology. Manufacturing Phobias will be a clarion call for anyone concerned about the disturbing consequences of our culture of fear. Fear Is A Powerful Emotion And A Formidable Spur To Action, A Source Of Worry And--when It Is Manipulated--a Source Of Injustice. Manufacturing Phobias Demonstrates How Economic And Political Elites Mobilize Fears Of Terrorism, Crime, Migration, Invasion, And Infection To Twist Political And Social Policy And Advance Their Own Agendas. The Contributors To The Collection, Experts In Criminology, Law, Sociology, And Politics, Explain How And Why Social Phobias Are Created By Pundits, Politicians, And The Media, And How They Target The Most Vulnerable In Our Society. Emphasizing How Social Phobias Reflect The Interests Of Those With Political, Economic, And Cultural Power, This Work Challenges The Idea That Society's Anxieties Are Merely Expressions Of Individual Psychology. Manufacturing Phobias Will Be A Clarion Call For Anyone Concerned About The Disturbing Consequences Of Our Culture Of Fear.-- Pathologizing Resistance And Promoting Anthropophobia : The Violent Extremism Risk Assessment (vera) As Case Study / Heidi Rimke -- Conflicts Of Rights : Free Speech, Freedom To Practise A Religion And The Social Phobia Mighty Machine / Hisham Ramadan -- Phobic Constructions : Psychological, Sociological, Criminological Articulations / Jeff Shantz And Hisham Ramadan -- Constructions Of Phobias, Fractured And Stigmatized Selves, And The Ideal Citizen In Iranian School Textbooks / Amir Mirfakhraie -- How To Save A Nation? : Televisual Fiction Post-9/11 / Melissa Ames -- Preparation For National Revolution Or Acceptance Of Inevitable Decay? / Dmitry Shlapentokh -- Phobia In An Age Of Post Migrant Rights : The Criminalization Of Tamil Refugees / Michael C.k. Ma And Davina Bhandar -- Death Panels On The Prison Planet : The New World Order Conspiracy And The Radicalization Of American Politics / Johann Pautz -- Degradation Ceremonies : Fear Discourses, Phobic Production, And The Military Metaphysic In Canada / Jeff Shantz -- Manufacturing The 'avaton' And The Ghetto : Places Of Fear In The Centre Of Athens / Penny Panagiota Koutrolikou Opposing Phobias Going Forward / Hisham M. Ramada, Jeff Shantz. Edited By Hisham Ramadan And Jeff Shantz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover ......Page 1 Title Page ......Page 4 Copyright Page ......Page 5 Contents......Page 8 Phobic Constructions: An Introduction......Page 14 Part 1. Endless Facades: Rethinking Social Phobias......Page 26 1. Pathologizing Resistance and Promoting Anthropophobia: The Violent Extremism Risk Assessment (VERA) as Case Study......Page 28 2. Conflicts of Rights: Free Speech, Freedom to Practise a Religion, and the Social Phobia Mighty Machine......Page 38 3. Phobic Constructions: Psychological, Sociological, Criminological Articulations......Page 62 Part 2. Bordering on Fear: Phobias, National Identities, Citizenship......Page 78 4. Constructions of Phobias, Fractured and Stigmatized Selves, and the Ideal Citizen in Iranian School Textbooks......Page 80 5. How to Save ... A Nation?: Televisual Fiction Post-9/11......Page 127 6. Preparation for National Revolution or Acceptance of Inevitable Decay?......Page 154 7. Phobia in an Age of Post-Migrant Rights: The Criminalization of Tamil Refugees......Page 186 Part 3. Politics by Other Means: Phobias and Political Practice......Page 218 8. Death Panels on the Prison Planet: The New World Order Conspiracy and the Radicalization of American Politics......Page 220 9. Degradation Ceremonies: Fear Discourses, Phobic Production, and the Military Metaphysic in Canada......Page 253 10. Manufacturing the avaton and the Ghetto: Places of Fear in the Centre of Athens......Page 281 Afterword: Opposing Phobias Going Forward......Page 304 Contributors......Page 314 Index......Page 318

Fear is a powerful emotion and a formidable spur to action, a source of worry and – when it is manipulated – a source of injustice. Manufacturing Phobias demonstrates how economic and political elites mobilize fears of terrorism, crime, migration, invasion, and infection to twist political and social policy and advance their own agendas.

The contributors to the collection, experts in criminology, law, sociology, and politics, explain how and why social phobias are created by pundits, politicians, and the media, and how they target the most vulnerable in our society. Emphasizing how social phobias reflect the interests of those with political, economic, and cultural power, this work challenges the idea that society’s anxieties are merely expressions of individual psychology. Manufacturing Phobias will be a clarion call for anyone concerned about the disturbing consequences of our culture of fear.

"Fear is a powerful emotion and a formidable spur to action, a source of worry and--when it is manipulated--a source of injustice. Manufacturing Phobias demonstrates how economic and political elites mobilize fears of terrorism, crime, migration, invasion, and infection to twist political and social policy and advance their own agendas. The contributors to the collection, experts in criminology, law, sociology, and politics, explain how and why social phobias are created by pundits, politicians, and the media, and how they target the most vulnerable in our society. Emphasizing how social phobias reflect the interests of those with political, economic, and cultural power, this work challenges the idea that society's anxieties are merely expressions of individual psychology. Manufacturing Phobias will be a clarion call for anyone concerned about the disturbing consequences of our culture of fear."-- Résumé de l'éditeur