How to Talk to Your Son about Fascism

Routledge Studies in Fascism and the Far Right

by Craig A. Johnson

How to Talk to Your Son about Fascism is a practical guide for parents, carers, and others with young men in their lives on how to talk with those young men about fascism and the right-wing, which specifically and particularly preys on them for recruitment.

Its central goal is to present research, history, and analysis about how and why the right-wing recruits young men to parents, educators, and anyone with a young person in their lives. The book covers the history of right-wing recruitment of young men, explaining why the right-wing focuses on recruiting men both on a theoretical basis and through the logic of movement-building, and then moves to practical analysis and suggestions for how to counter recruitment today. Recommendations come from excerpts and existing scholarship. Readers will come out of the book with a better understanding of what fascism is and how it works, how it preys on young men, how it recruits and appeals to them, and how to stop this from happening.

This book will be of interest to antifascist researchers and activists, as well as parents, carers, and the general reader concerned about the rise of the extreme right.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Parenting

150 pages, Paperback

Published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[J Jansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very timely book. great that it explicitly calls sexism an important source of fascism. it's ideology on gender and gender roles is often overlooked.

The book focuses on how mostly white, mostly young, mostly male persons might be attracted to fascist ideology in various forms. With it's ubiquitous presence online, offline and in our politics, it is a certainty that a young person will come into contact with these ideas.

The main advice for dealing with potential fascist leaning youngsters in a private setting (for public confrontation a whole other setbofnadvices are available) is empathy and curiosity, finding out what is the motivating forces are. and making sure that it is clear that you do not agree.

The book contains many examples, but as a practical resource still a bit too little example conversations or vignettes.

in public; watch your own and other's safety, but try to confront these ideas as much as possible. Not saying anything makes it seem as if these ideas are commonplace or accepted. And they never should be.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascism is garnering its momentum and young people are increasingly targeted to join its ranks. It predates on boys and victimises everyone else. This book is important and will likely remain relevant for a while. The author explains its allure and recruiting tactics and explains how to best address a budding fascist mindset in private sphere, with empathy and curiosity before it's too late.

[Nick Mortensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timely topic handled well. Your son won't be able to avoid recruitment by the right wing & Dr. Johnson describes the many ways that young men are being recruited into Fascism. It's never a single hard-sell moment where you can just say "no" and Johnson discusses exactly what appeals to young men about fascism.

[Jacquie Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a valuable read. I highly recommend it to anyone with young men in their lives.