Culture War: Exploring the Dialectics of Pro-Life and Pro-Family Social Movements' Engagement with the Radical Right-Wing Party Chega

Author : Francisco Batista

Abstract :Inglehart proposed the concept of a “silent cultural revolution,” while Ignazi posited that the rise of the Populist radical right wing constitutes a “counter- revolution.” This dynamic frames the ongoing “Culture War” as a profound clash of divergent cultural values. Progressivist actors aim to dismantle long-standing norms, while conservative actors staunchly defend national and religious cultural traditions. This research explores the potential alignment between conservative social movements and the radical right-wing in Portugal, in their cultural struggle against progressive social justice movements, particularly concerning sexual and gender rights. The expected contributions include an analysis of whether Christian movements have shifted their support from the moderate center-right to the radical right, exemplified by the Chega party, a trend that has been observed in other Western countries. It also examines how this relationship works and the mechanisms employed. Also, the study seeks to understand what gaps in the theoretical and comparative scholarship on radical right movements can be addressed by examining the Portuguese case? Or does it present a new angle or reinforce existing theories?

Keywords :Silent cultural revolution, counter-revolution, Culture War, populist radical right, conservative social movements

Conference Name :International Conference on Law and Politics (ICLP-24)

Conference Place Bratislava, Slovakia

Conference Date 4th Dec 2024