Dr Joel Busher

Joel joined Huddersfield as a Research Fellow in May 2012. Prior to joining Huddersfield, Joel worked as a Research Fellow in extremism at the University of East London, where he developed his current research on English Defence League activism.

Prior to that he worked as a research analyst in the Defence Science Technology Laboratory (DSTL), part of the Ministry of Defence. Here he delivered work to the MoD and Home Office on subjects ranging from violent extremism to power relations in Southern Afghanistan and governance in the context of military stabilisation programmes.

He holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia.

Joel’s current research is an ethnographic account of English Defence League activism in London and the Southeast. His research examines the organisational, ideological and affective structures operating at the grassroots of this organisation. It is based on 15 months of overt observation at demonstrations, meetings and other EDL events, as well as narrative interviews activists. This has led to a wider research interest in the the confluence of contemporary forms of nationalist activism with the broadly conceived counter-jihad movement.

His other current research interests include: the delivery of counter-terrorism and community cohesion programmes; sociological/anthropolitical analysis of the processes through which people join or leave ‘radical’/‘extreme’ protest groups; policing of groups identified as being a threat to community cohesion; local and national policy responses to the EDL and other similar groups.

2013

Busher, J (2013) ‘Grassroots activism in the English Defence League: Discourse and public (dis)order’. In: Extreme Right Wing Political Violence and Terrorism. : Continuum. . ISBN 9781441150127

2012

Busher, J (2012) ‘‘There are none sicker than the EDL’: Narratives of racialisation and resentment from Whitehall and Eltham, London’. In: The English riots of 2011: A summer of discontent. Hook, Hampshire, UK: Waterside Press. pp. 237-258. ISBN 9781904380887

Busher, J (2012) ‘From ethnic nationalisms to clashing civilisations: (Un)civil religion in an era of globalization’ Religion Compass , 6 (9), pp. 414-425. ISSN 1749-8171

Busher, J (2012) ‘" I still support what the Movement stands for but...": on leaving the English Defence League’. In: Narrative Matters 2012: Life and Narrative, 29th May - 1st June 2012, Paris, France

2011

Busher, J (2011) ‘The politics and practice of “anti-extremism” in Britain’. In: 10th Conference of the European Sociological Association: Social Relations in Turbulent Times, 7th - 10th September 2011, Geneva, Switzerland

Busher, J (2011) ‘Laying Claim to Exclusion: Human Rights in Nationalist Discourse in Britain’. In: Annual Meeting of the Law and Society Association 2011, 2nd - 5th June 2011, San Fransisco, USA

Busher, J (2011) ‘What do ‘middle class’ terrorists tell us about the link between poverty and terrorism?’ Journal of Terrorism Research , 2 (1). ISSN 2049-7040

2010

Busher, J (2010) ‘When promoting pills is easier than pushing the ABC: a case study from Kavango, Namibia’ AIDS Care , 22 (sup1), pp. 29-34. ISSN 0954-0121

2009

Busher, J (2009) ‘Being an identity prop: some ethical implications’ Anthropology Matters , 11 (1). ISSN 1758-6453

• Joel has delivered invited presentations on EDL activism to: The Department of Communities and Local Government, Home Office, Cabinet Office, Association of Chief Police Officers, Metropolitan Police, DSTL, local authorities with a particular interest in these issues (May and June 2012).
• He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Terrorism Research (Dec 2010 – present).