Aube Tollu

Doctoral student

(they/them)

Sociology

Main research areas

• Jihadist sub-cultures
• Romantic relationships and involvement in violent social movements
• Critical terrorism studies
• Cultural and feminist criminology

Current research

Working title: 'romantic relationships and violent movement participation'.

I look at French jihadists' experiences of romantic relationships in their journey towards joining a violent social movement.  Taking a critical approach to the problem-solving, imperialist and state-focused trends in terrorism studies, my aim is to explore the lived experiences of participants to violent social movements to shed the light on the relationship between affect, emotions in regard to romantic relationships, community building and the making of subcultural political groups. 

In my work, I draw from social psychology, cultural criminology, phenomenology, feminist and critical race scholarship and the broader tradition of ethnographic enquiries.

In previous research, I have looked at anti-colonialism and anti-racism in recruitment into ISIS, as well as anti-racism in Al-Shabaab's propaganda material. I have explored the themes of resistance to recruitment into violent social movements in Somali communities in Kenya.

Teaching

I have the opportunity to teach undergraduate and Master students in Criminology and Sociology in Lund, covering various themes from materialist feminism to terrorism studies and emotions, cultural criminology and victimhood for instance. Students can reach me by emails for questions and meet up.