Big Thinking Podcast · Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Comprendre les racines de l'extrémisme au Québec

·36 min·2 clips

Frédéric Nadeau dit qu’il n’y a « pas de profil type » pour les membres de l’extrême droite au Québec.

The conversation starts with a public question. Karine Morin asks whether the rise of radical groups in Quebec and Canada should be read as a local phenomenon or as part of a wider trend that also shows up elsewhere in the world. Frédéric Nadeau then sketches the path that brought him to the subject. He describes an early curiosity that grew into a research focus spanning anthropology, urban studies, and the study of far-right extremism in Quebec. The talk then turns to definition. Morin asks what extremism means concretely and how it differs from protest, dissent, or broader counter-cultural movements. Nadeau answers by separating ideology, attitude, and mode of action. He describes extremist movements as anti-democratic in their principles and in the ways they operate. The list is blunt. Intimidation, calumny, threats, harassment, violence, terrorism, and other tactics all appear as examples of unacceptable behavior in a democratic society. The episode keeps returning to that distinction because it matters for public understanding. Rather than treating extremism as a vague label, the conversation asks listeners to look at what the movements believe and how they behave. Morin also presses on visibility. Nadeau notes that extremist groups have not suddenly appeared, but they are easier to notice now than when they were more clandestine. That shift in visibility becomes a central thread. The discussion raises the possibility that political discourse and social media may have helped these groups find one another and make themselves more legible to the public, while stopping short of settling on a single cause. The episode stresses that extremism has long existed and will likely continue to exist. Morin's questions keep the pace steady, and Nadeau's answers stay detailed, qualified, and careful. The result is a measured account of how extremist movements define themselves, how they move, and why democracies need to understand them precisely.

As heard by us

A careful interview that makes extremism a precise question rather than a slogan.

The conversation treats extremism in Quebec and Canada as a matter of definition, visibility, and democratic limits. Karine Morin keeps the discussion broad and steady, while Frederic Nadeau traces the path that led his research toward extremism and lays out the ideologies,…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you want a grounded discussion of extremism in Quebec and Canada, start here.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Big Thinking Podcast