ConspiRacism - Untangling the Knot between Population Replacement Conspiracy Theories, Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Class

This research project examines the history, intellectual origins, political mobilization, and digital dissemination of conspiracy theories postulating the "Great Replacement"—the alleged replacement of European populations by Muslims and migrants. Focusing on Germany and France, the study develops a novel theoretical framework to untangle the historical and conceptual relations between Population Replacement Conspiracy Theories (PRCT) and racism as well as how gender, sexuality, and class function as analytical categories in the construction of these conspiracy theories.

The project investigates three interrelated domains: (1) literature, analyzing the intellectual development of PRCT in nonfiction; (2) party politics, investigating political campaigns and rhetoric that deploy PRCT; and (3) digital platforms, examining online spaces where these conspiracy theories are circulated, modified, and amplified. Through an interdisciplinary, international, and multi-methods approach, this study seeks to provide a systematic and comprehensive  conceptual framework for understanding the growing influence of "Great Replacement" conspiracy theories in contemporary political and digital landscapes.