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THE FAR RIGHT AND JANUARY 6, 2021: HOW CYBER AND REAL LIFE SPACES BECAME ONE AND THE IMAGERY THAT FACILITATED THE PROCESS

California State University, San Bernardino CSUSB Scholar Works

Electronic Theses Projects and Dissertations, Office of Graduate Studies

8-2021

Dori LaMar

Video: Cal State San Bernardino Campus Tour

Recommended Citation LaMar, Dori, “THE FAR RIGHT AND JANUARY 6, 2021: HOW CYBER AND REAL LIFE SPACES BECAME ONE AND THE IMAGERY THAT FACILITATED THE PROCESS” (2021). Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations. 1310. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/1310

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Office of Graduate Studies at CSUSB ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CSUSB ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact scholarworks’at’ csusb.edu.

  1. Dori LaMar
  2. ABSTRACT
  3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  4. TABLE OF CONTENTS
  5. LIST OF TABLES
  6. LIST OF FIGURES

THE FAR RIGHT AND JANUARY 6, 2021: HOW CYBER AND REAL LIFE SPACES BECAME ONE AND THE IMAGERY THAT FACILITATED THE PROCESS

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, San Bernardino

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Social Sciences and Globalization

by Dori LaMar

August 2021

THE FAR RIGHT AND JANUARY 6, 2021: HOW CYBER AND REAL LIFE SPACES BECAME ONE AND THE IMAGERY THAT FACILITATED THE PROCESS

© 2021 Dori LaMar

ABSTRACT

The growing presence of the far right in both internet and physical spaces is of concern because of the associated violence and civil unrest. The presence of the far right on the internet is historical and persistent. It is used by the far right movement to engage, radicalize, fellowship, plan and execute events, some of which are violent. This thesis explores the ways in which the far right uses online spaces and offline spaces in tandem, and how the use of imagery facilitates this process. To do this a visual and audio analysis was conducted on 100 videos posted to the social media site Parler on January 6, 2021. The videos were analyzed for far right related imagery and songs, chants, and narration to help shed light on how cyberspace and real life space not only worked in tandem, but in this event, became one and the same. The analysis found that while certain high profile far right groups kept their imagery visibility low, America First had a visible presence and they engaged in rhetoric decrying globalization and immigrants, which is of concern as it is the unifying theme nurturing growing global ties among the far right. The results also demonstrated the tension between pro law enforcement and antigovernment far right groups as well as the far rights weaponization of patriotic symbols.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to recognize and thank my family and friends for their support and encouragement. I never thought, almost 15 years after completing my undergraduate work and teaching credential program, that when I returned to university it would turn out to be in the middle of an historic pandemic.

Thank you to my friends and professors, especially Dr. Grisham, Dr. Pytell, and Dr. Khan, in the Social Science and Globalization program. I learned so much and I value the time I spent with you. To the ladies of the “Thesis Support” group text, Melissa, Mayra, and Rubi, thank you for the laughs, the help, and the encouragement.

To my mother, April Bachelder, and my sisters Cody and Ashley Bachelder, thank you for always believing in me and encouraging my academic studies.

To my children, Xavier, Alex, and Amaia LaMar, I missed you so much as the pandemic made visits nearly impossible. The family texts and Facetime visits helped so much, and you never doubted my success. I love you all so much.

To my rock, my life partner, my husband, my love, Rodney LaMar. Your unwavering support, love, encouragement, and ability to make me laugh when I most needed it, made this process possible. Thank you, I love you, and I so look forward to our next 30 years together.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • ABSTRACT

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  • LIST OF TABLES

  • LIST OF FIGURES

  • CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

    • Introduction

    • Research Problem and Hypothesis

    • Type of Research

    • Defining the Far Right

    • What Makes the Far Right Extremist?

    • Historical Overview of the Online Presence of the Far Right

    • Imagery Types

    • Summary

  • CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

    • Introduction

    • Theoretical Frameworks Useful in Understanding the Far Right: Landscapes, the Imaginary, and Ecosystems

    • Cyberspace and Growing Transnational Ties Among the Far Right

    • The Role of Imagery

    • Summary

  • CHAPTER THREE: METHODS

    • Introduction

    • Research Design

    • Sampling and Procedures

  • CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS

    • Introduction

    • Analysis Findings

      • Visual Analysis Findings

      • Audio Analysis Findings

    • Discussion of Findings

  • CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    • Research Question

    • Cyberspace, Physical Space, and Imagery

    • Study Limitations

    • Recommendations

  • APPENDIX A: GOOGLE FORM

  • APPENDIX B: SPREADSHEET OF RESPONSES

  • REFERENCES

LIST OF TABLES

  • Table 1. Types of Imagery Shown on Hats and Beanies

  • Table 2. Types of Imagery Shown on Flags

  • Table 3. Chants and Songs

  • Table 4. Narration by Speakers On and Off Camera

LIST OF FIGURES

  • Figure 1. Far-Right Online Ecosystem

  • Figure 2. Video Recordings by Location

Table of contents