Stigma Management Among Tertiary-Educated Far-Right Supporters

In Western European democracies, many far-right parties are subject to a political stigma because the general public perceives these parties, as well as their stances, as violating social norms. Recent research shows that this political stigma is also experienced by supporters of these parties—especially tertiary-educated supporters, for whom such support constitutes a clearer social breach. Therefore, drawing on interviews with tertiary-educated supporters of the far-right—and politically stigmatized—Sweden Democrats (SD), this study develops nuanced, in-depth understandings of whether and how these individuals experience political stigma, highlighting the different ways in which they manage this experience by drawing on three strategies. These strategies capture distinct ways in which individuals relate to and engage with the stigma they experience, thereby shaping their democratic attitudes and actions. The study concludes by outlining avenues for further extending the research agenda on experienced political stigma.