Dr Benjamin Lee
Senior Research Associate
Ben is a Senior Research Associate at CSTPV. He holds a PhD from the University of Manchester and joined St Andrews in 2020 after holding research posts at Leicester, Northampton, and Lancaster. His research focuses on the extreme-right in the UK and transnationally and is funded by the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (CREST).
Ben’s research work has looked at: extreme-right ideological developments, including the emergence of Siege Culture in the UK and the Anglosphere; organisational change, including the use of online platforms to organise and communicate; communication tools including the use of memes by extreme-right activists; and extreme-right terrorism and related offending, particularly in the UK. Ben is methods agnostic and has an interdisciplinary research background which informs his research in terrorism studies.
Ben has published work in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism; Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism & Political Aggression; Policy & Internet; Perspectives on Terrorism; Democracy & Security; Religion Compass; Politics, Religion & Ideology; New Media & Society; and the International Journal of Press/Politics. He is on the editorial board of Studies in Conflict & Terrorism.
Ben’s research has also appeared in edited volumes including the Handbook of Conspiracy Theories (Routledge), Analysing Social Media Data and Web Networks (Palgrave); and Digital Extremisms (Palgrave), the last of which Ben co-edited. In addition, Ben has authored several CREST publications, including reports on ideological transmission and learning, and several contributions to the CREST Security Review and website. Hatescape – his first monograph is due to be published by McGill Queen University Press in 2022.
Ben also works closely with policy makers, practitioners, and other stakeholders, both through his research funded by CREST, and on an ad-hoc basis. Ben has previously provided advice and research to the Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Cabinet Office, Prison and Probation Service, a wide variety of security practitioners, media organisations, and a range of other stakeholders.
At St Andrews Ben is running the IR5954 elective on extreme-right terrorism and violence.
Peer-Reviewed Articles
Lee, B., and Knott, K., (2021) “Fascist Aspirants: Fascist Forge and Ideological Learning in the Extreme-Right Online Milieu”, Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression.
Knott, K. and Lee, B (2020) “Ideological Transmission in Extremist Contexts: Towards a Framework of How Ideas Are Shared”. Politics, Religion & Ideology. 21(1), pp1-23.
Lee, B. (2019) “Countering Violent Extremism Online: The Experiences of Informal Countermessaging Activists” Policy & Internet. 12(1), pp 66-87.
Southern, R., and Lee, B. (2019) “Politics as usual? Assessing the Extent and Content of Candidate-Level Online Campaigning at the 2015 UK General Election” Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties. 29(2), pp179-198.
Lee, B. (2018) “Informal Countermessaging: The Potential and Perils of Informal Online Countermessaging” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism. 42 (1-2), pp 161-177.
Lee, B., (2017) “It’s Not Paranoia When They Are Really Out to Get You: The Role of Conspiracy Theories in the Context of Heightened Security” Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression. 9(1), pp 4-20.
Lee, B. and Campbell, V. (2016) “Looking Out or Turning In? Organizational Ramifications of Online Political Posters on Facebook” International Journal of Press/Politics. 1(3) pp 313-337.
Lee, B., (2016) “Why We Fight: Understanding the Counter Jihad Movement” Religion Compass. 10(10), pp 257-265.
Lee, B., (2015) “A Day in the Swamp: Understanding Discourse in the Online Counter Jihad Nebula” Democracy and Security. 11(3), pp 248-274.
Lee, B., (2014) “Window Dressing 2.0: Constituency Level Web Campaigns in the 2010 UK General Election” Politics, 34(1), pp 45-57.
Gibson, R., Gillan, K., Greffet, F., Lee, B., and Ward, S., (2013) “Party Organizational Change and ICTS: The Growth of a Virtual Grassroots?” New Media & Society, 15(1), pp 31-51.
Book Chapters
Lee, B. (2020) “Conspiracy Theories and Radicalisation” in Knight, P (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories. Routledge.
Lee, B. (2020) “Neo-Nazis Have Stolen Our Memes: The Role of Meme Warfare in Extremist Politics” in Littler, M and Lee, B (eds) Digital Extremisms: Readings in Violence, Radicalisation and Extremism in the Digital Space. Palgrave.
Campbell, V and Lee, B., (2016) “Party Brands” in Lilleker, D and Pack, M. (eds.) Political Marketing and the 2015 UK General Election, Palgrave.
Lee, B., (2014) “From Websites to Web Presences: Measuring Interactive Features in Candidate Level Web Campaigns During the 2010 UK General Election”, in Gibson, R., Ward, S., and Cantijoch, M. (eds.) Analysing Social Media Data and Web Networks. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Other Publications
Lee, B. (2021) “Think Global, Act Local: Reconfiguring Siege Culture.” CREST Research.
Lee. B. (2020) “Blind Networks in the Extreme-Right.” CREST Research.
Knott, K., and Lee, B., (2020) “How and Why Ideologies are Shared and Learned.” CREST Research.
Lee, B. and Knott, K. (2020) “More Grist to the Mill? Reciprocal Radicalisation and Reactions to Terrorism in the Far-Right Digital Milieu” Perspectives on Terrorism. 14(3), pp 98-115.
Lee, B. (2019) “Overview of the Far-Right”, paper commissioned by the Government Commission on Countering Extremism.
Knott, K. and Lee, B. (2018) “Ideological Transmission 3: Political and Religious Organisations”. CREST Report.
Lee, B., (2017) “CREST Primer: Understanding the Far-Right Landscape” CREST Research.
Knott, K. and Lee, B. (2017) “Ideological Transmission: Mind Map” CREST Security Review. Knott, K. and Lee, B. (2017) “Ideological Transmission 2: Peers Education & Prisons” CREST Report.
Lee, B., Morrow, L., (2017) “Transmission in Context.” CREST Research.
Lee, B (2017) “Grassroots Counter Messaging in the UK.” CREST Research.
Lee, B., (2016) “CREST Primer: The Counter Jihad Movement” CREST Research
Lee, B. (2016) “One peaceful march doesn’t change Pegida’s disturbing ideology” The Conversation.
Knott, K. and Lee, B. (2016) “Ideological Transmission 1: The Family” CREST Report.
IR5954 Distance Learning Electives:
The Extreme Right
Managing Editor, Extremism