Tracy Llanera

Tracy Llanera: The Moral Agency of White Terror Wolves

This Friday, December 13th, Associate Professor of Philosophy Tracy Llanera will be giving a talk at the event Digital Transformations: Identity, Gender and Affectivity hosted at Cardiff University. Along with Professor Llanera, Dr. Gen Eickers, Dr. Lucy Osler, Dr. Louise Richardson-Self and Dr. Francesca Sobande will also be speaking at the event.

 

Professor Tracy Llanera will be presenting The Moral Agency of White Terror Wolves, and you can read the abstract of her talk below:

The Moral Agency of White Terror Wolves
Tracy Llanera
This paper investigates the case of “white terror wolves,” or extremists responsible for violent lone attacks committed in the name of white supremacist ideology; examples include Anders Breivik (Norway), Dylann Storm Roof (USA), Brenton Tarrant (Australia), John Earnest (USA), Patrick Wood Crusius (USA), and Stephan Balliet (Germany). Government actors and the media often describe these perpetrators as being mentally ill or brainwashed—a perspective that risks misconstruing mental illness as the key driver for domestic terrorism instead of white extremism. This paper contests this perspective by ascribing moral agency to white terror wolves. Its analysis proceeds in three parts. First, it describes the role of white terror wolves in white extremism and the pernicious framing of their perpetrator identity as being mentally ill. Second, drawing on Alasdair MacIntyre’s moral philosophy, it outlines a conception of moral agency that is relevant to these cases. Third, it interrogates how white terror wolves exercise their moral agency to the point of moral failure.

 

While the in-person event will be held in Wales, you can join online at 9:30AM London (4:30AM EST), with the event ending at 4:30PM London (11:30AM EST).

 

Congratulations, Tracy!

Tracy Llanera: Extremism, Gender, and Science

Congratulations to Dr. Tracy Llanera for her feature in The Philosopher’s Zone’s recent episode, “Extremism, gender and science”. This episode delves into how extremists are weaponizing gender and science in their arguments—an issue that has become increasingly prevalent in today’s political landscape.

You can read an excerpt from the website below:

Extremists used to be easy to spot: they were seen as irrational, unstable and… well, extreme. But in recent years, we’ve seen extremists on the political right laying claim to traditional Enlightenment values – reason, free speech, autonomy, human rights – that were traditionally used as bulwarks against extremism. This is clearly seen in contemporary battles around gender and science.

 

Check out Dr. Tracy Llanera’s interview on ABC’s The Philosopher’s Zone by clicking here.

Tracy Llanera: Featured in The Daily Campus

Congratulations to Assistant Professor Tracy Llanera on being featured in The Daily Campus! The article features Dr. Llanera’s presentation, “The Misfits of Extremism: Brides, Moms, and Daughters,” and discusses the premise of her upcoming book that is currently in progress.

 

“This book interrogates the role, value, and agency of marginal actors in white supremacist and Islamic terror movements,” Llanera stated. “While becoming extremists may temporarily enhance their agency and feelings of importance and belonging, I argue that the empowerment of marginal actors is conditional, pernicious and often lethal.”

 

You can read the rest of the article here.

Tracy Llanera: Marginal Actors in Extremist Movements

Congratulations to Dr. Tracy Llanera, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and 2023-2024 University of Connecticut Humanities Institute (UCHI) faculty fellow, for her recent feature in UCHI's Spotlight Series discussing her recent project, The Misfits of Extremism. You can access the video below, or by visiting UCHI's YouTube Channel here.

Congratulations, Tracy!

2023 -2024 UCHI/CLAS Undergraduate Research Fellows

Congratulations to the 2023 – 2024 UCHI/CLAS Undergraduate Research Fellows who have been supervised by our wonderful junior faculty members!

Breanna Bonner (Project advisor: Ayanna De’Vante Spencer)
“‘The Space Between Black and Liberation’: Analyzing Black Women’s Experiences of Intersectional Invisibility Within Liberation Movements”

Annabelle Bergstrom (Project advisor: Julian J. Schlöder)
“Minds Among Minds: A Pragmatist View of the Social and Spiritual Self in a Hyperconnected World”

Nathan Howard (Project advisor: Tracy Llanera)
“Homofascism: The Queering of Hate”

Tracy Llanera: Awarded Humanities Institute Faculty Fellowship

Congratulations to Assistant Professor Tracy Llanera for being awarded a Humanities Institute Faculty Fellowship! Professor Llanera will write a new book titled The Misfits of Extremism.

Her book aims to place non-traditional extremist agents of Islamic fundamentalism and white supremacy at the front and center of philosophical and political debates. The work will offer a new theoretical framework for understanding the nature and character of extremism and extremist commitment, the dynamics of power and agency, and the problems of blame and moral accountability.

 

Heather Muraviov and Tracy Llanera: Talk at California State Fullerton Philosophy Symposium

Congratulations to PH.D. student, Heather Muraviov, and Assistant Professor Tracy Llanera for presenting at the California State Fullerton Philosophy Symposium on Examining Extremism this week!

Heather’s talk is titled “Countering Extremist Mindsets through Liberatory Epistemic Virtues” and focuses on an application of Cassam’s view of extremist mindsets and radicalization to agents who resist oppression and engage in liberatory struggles.

Assistant Professor Tracy Llanera’s talk is titled “Extremist Women and Fanaticism,” and focuses on women and their propensity to become fanatics in extremist groups.

 

Tracy Llanera: “The Misogyny Paradox and the Alt-Right” featured in New Work in Philosophy

Congratulations to Assistant Professor Tracy Llanera for her article, “The Misogyny Paradox and the Alt-Right” being feature in New Work in PhilosophyDr. Llanera’s article offers a philosophical analysis of the misogyny women experience in the alternative right (alt-right) movement.

Check out the article here!