HYBRIS - Hybrid Trajectories of Transnational Islamism

Principal investigator: Ester Sigillò

Hybrid Trajectories of Transnational Islamism (HYBRIS). This project explores how Islamic activism evolves across borders, particularly focusing on North African Islamist movements. By examining their trajectories in Europe and North America, HYBRIS explores how movements adapt to new political environments, hybridize their discourse and practices, and reshape their strategies in response to authoritarianism and diaspora dynamics. 
Research Objectives:  HYBRIS is structured around five key objectives, each designed to deepen our understanding of transformation and hybridization within Islamist movements: 

1. Mapping the Trajectories of Islamist Movements: Exploring how transnational networks facilitate the spread of shared ideologies and practices across borders.
2. Investigating Forms of Hybridization: Analyzing how Islamist movements incorporate ideas from other movements to appeal to broader audiences.
3. The Role of Digital Spaces in Islamic Activism:  Examining how digital media empowers Islamist activists, particularly in repressive environments, enabling them to communicate and mobilize beyond state control.
4. Understanding the Dynamics of Relocation:  Investigating how Islamist movements adapt to new environments by merging their objectives with local political issues.
5. The Impact of Hybridization on Political Positioning:  Assessing how the hybridization of ideologies is transforming Islamist movements' political strategies and influence in their countries of origin. 

Website: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101107902 

Department components 

Alice Mattoni, project’s supervisor

Other components 

The New School for Social Research, New York 

SciencesPo (Center for International Studies, CERI), Paris 

First publications related to the project 

Ester Sigillo', European Islam and the ‘Identity Challenge’: Exploring the Nexus between Integration Policies and Radicalization, in: Composite identities. Percorsi tra cinema, teatro, letteratura, musica, scienze sociali e politiche., Milano, LED Edizioni Universitarie, 2023, pp. 153 - 165 [capitolo di libro] 

Ester Sigillo', Salafis’ hybrid trajectories of socio-political engagement in Tunisia and Algeria. A social movement perspective, «MEDITERRANEAN POLITICS», 2024, first online, pp. 1 - 22 [articolo] 

Scheduled Conferences for Presenting Preliminary Project Results 

• Midwest Political Science Association General Conference, April 2025, Chicago 

• EISA, The Pan-European Conference on International Relations. 25-29 August 2025, University of Bologna, Italy 

• Società Italiana di Scienza Politica, Convegno annuale, September 2025, Naples 

• Middle East Studies Association, General Conference, November 22-25, Washington DC