Social Decline Research Articles

The Psychology of Entrenched Privilege: High Socioeconomic Status Individuals From Affluent Backgrounds Are Uniquely High in Entitlement.

As rates of intergenerational social mobility decline, it is increasingly important to understand the psychological consequences of entrenched socioeconomic privilege. Here, we explore whether current and childhood socioeconomic status (SES) are interactively related to entitlement, such that among currently high SES individuals, those from affluent backgrounds are likely to feel uniquely high levels of entitlement, whereas currently low SES individuals feel low entitlement regardless of their backgrounds. A meta-analysis of four exploratory studies (total N = 3,105) found that currently high SES individuals who were also raised in high SES households were especially inclined to report feeling entitled, a pattern that was robust across three indicators of SES: income, education, and subjective SES. Results of a preregistered, confirmatory study (N = 1,058) replicated this interactive pattern for education and subjective SES, though not for income. Our findings highlight the importance of considering current and childhood SES jointly to understand the psychological consequences of SES.

Phases and Dynamics of the Social Movement Process in Indonesia: A Case Study on LAPINDO Mudflow Disaster Victims against the Government

This study focused on mapping the phases and dynamics of the social movement process of Lapindo mudflow disaster victims in Indonesia. This study was analyzed by using a qualitative. The subject of the study was determined by purposive sampling in which all elements involved in the social movement of mudflow disaster victims. The data were collected by using in-depth interview, observation, FGD, and documentation. The stages of the analysis process involved data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusion. The results of the study indicated that the social movements were mapped into three phases: (1) the period of the emergence of the pre-social movement ideas; (2) the period of stabilization and consolidation of the social movements; and (3) the period of the social movement decline. Meanwhile, the dynamics of the social movements of Lapindo mudflow were based on three aspects: (1) political opportunity; (2) mobilizing structure, and (3) cultural framings.

The Role of Psychological and Social Well-being on Physical Function Trajectories in Older Adults.

BackgroundPsychological and social well-being are emerging as major determinants in preserving health in old age. We aimed to explore the association between these factors and the rate of decline in physical function over time in older adults.MethodsData were gathered from the Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K). The study population consisted of 1,153 non-demented, community-dwelling men and women free from multimorbidity or impairments in basic or instrumental activities of daily living at baseline. They were followed over 12 years to capture the rate of decline in physical function, which was measured by combining data on walking speed, balance, and chair stands. The association between baseline psychological and social well-being and decline in physical function was estimated through linear mixed models, after multiple adjustments including personality and depressive symptoms.ResultsHigher levels of psychological (β = .007; p = .037) and social (β = .008; p = .043) well-being were significantly associated with a decreased rate of decline in physical function over the follow-up. There was a significant three-way interaction between psychological well-being*time*sex (female vs male) (β = .015; p = .047), showing that a slower decline in physical function was observed only among women and not in men. The association was strongest for individuals with high levels of both psychological and social well-being (β = .012; p = .019).ConclusionHigh levels of psychological and social well-being may slow down the age-related decline in physical function, which confirms the complexity of older adults’ health, but also points towards new preventative strategies.

From industrial restructuring to the financial crisis: Mainstream nationalism and minimum income in the Basque Country

AbstractThe uneven development of minimum incomes in Spain is one of the factors that explain the significant differences in the poverty indicators that characterize the Spanish regions, generally in favour of the territories most committed to these policies (Basque Country, Navarra and Asturias). However, there are other aspects that deserve some consideration when interpreting the specific method of developing minimum incomes in southern Europe. One aspect has to do with the differing dynamics of countries, such as Spain and Italy, which have opted for a decentralized regional model. In this regard, the regional autonomous initiative of the Basque Country played a decisive role in promoting minimum income programs in the late 1980s. Without its leadership in the launch of the regional minimum income policy, Spanish trade unions would probably not have opted for this method as a mechanism for combating poverty in the 1990s. No Italian region went on to play this driving role at that time. This article analyses the ideological foundations of the Basque minimum income policy introduced in the late 1980s and which grew significantly before and during the crisis that started in 2007‐2008. It examines the dominant political narrative on this issue by analysing the discourse of some of the key nationalist leaders involved in the birth and development of the minimum income scheme. The approach shows that the experience of social decline linked to industrial restructuring processes was instrumental in the construction of the nationalist narrative.

Dynamics of Urban Decline and Urban Regeneration Policy in Gangwon-do

도시는 지역적 맥락에서 시·공간적인 연속성을 가지고 변화하므로 쇠퇴의 양상 역시 지역적 차원에서 살펴볼 필요가 있다. 또한 시기가 동일하더라도 도시의 규모에 따라 쇠퇴원인 및 재생방향이 다르므로 쇠퇴지역의 범위와 지역에 대한 이해가 필요하다. 이러한 쇠퇴현황을 분석하기 위해 강원도를 공간적 범위로 설정하였다. 강원도는 현재 고령인구 증가에 따른 인구·사회적 쇠퇴를 겪고 있으며 남북한 군사적 대치로 인한 접경지역의 물리·환경적 쇠퇴와 폐광지역의 경제적 쇠퇴를 모두 경험하고 있기 때문이다. 이에 강원도 18개 시·군을 대상으로 접경지역, 폐광지역 등 지역에 적합한 지표를 선정하고 쇠퇴유형을 분류하여 유형별 재생방향을 도출하였다. 이를 통해 향후 지역적 맥락에서 도시재생 방향을 설정하고 주민주도의 지역발전기회를 마련하는데 기초자료로 제공하고자 한다.The pattern of decline also needs to be reviewed at the regional level, as cities change with time and spatial continuity in the regional context. In addition, it is necessary to understand the scope and region of the area of decline, as the causes of decline and the direction of regeneration vary depending on the size of the city, even if the period is the same. To analyze this decline, Gangwon Province was set to a spatial range. This is because Gangwon Province is currently suffering from demographic and social decline due to an increase in the elderly population, physical and environmental decline in the border area caused by military confrontation between the two Koreas, and economic decline in the abandoned mining area. The study selected suitable indicators for areas such as border areas and abandoned mining areas in 18 cities and counties in Gangwon Province, and divided the types of reduction into types to derive playback directions. Through this, the government intends to set the direction of urban regeneration in the future regional context and provide it with basic resources to establish community-led regional development opportunities.

The threat of social decline: income inequality and radical right support

ABSTRACT Income inequality and radical right parties have both been on the rise in Western democracies, yet few studies explore the linkages between the two – despite prominent arguments about voters feeling ‘left behind’. We argue that rising inequality not only intensifies relative deprivation, but also signals a potential threat of social decline, as gaps in the social hierarchy widen. Hence, voters higher up in the social hierarchy may turn to the radical right to defend existing social boundaries. Using International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) data from 14 OECD countries over three decades, we find that rising income inequality increases the likelihood of radical right support – most pronouncedly among individuals with high subjective social status and lower-middle incomes. Adding to evidence that the threat of decline, rather than actual deprivation, pushes voters towards the radical right, we highlight income inequality as the crucial factor conditioning perceived threats from a widening social hierarchy.

Electoral fortunes of social democratic parties: do second dimension positions matter?

ABSTRACTThe dramatic decline in vote shares on the mainstream left in many recent elections has led to a renewed discussion about a crisis of Social Democracy. One popular argument is that Social Democratic decline is the result of these parties' liberal cultural positions and pro-EU stance, with both topics increasingly salient for their traditional voters, particularly among the working class. However, we lack comparative evidence testing this argument. In this paper, we combine CHES data on party positions with ESS survey data to analyze the electoral effects of Social Democratic parties' second dimension and EU positions. In addition, we focus on whether support from different socio-economic groups is sensitive to these positions. In contrast to much public debate, we find that more authoritarian/nationalist and more anti-EU positions are if anything associated with lower rather than greater electoral support for social democratic parties.

Leadership in Academia of Pakistan: Perception of Crisis Situation and Solutions

In current study, aim was to explore effective academic leadership in Pakistani higher education institutes. It was an attempt to understand how people in academia perceive effective academic leadership and what are the qualities expected in an effective academic leader? It was also attempted to explore if academicians feel that there is a crisis of leadership in Pakistani higher education institutes? What are the reasons and solution for this crisis situation? Purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample of teachers, students, and psychologists. Three focus groups were conducted one after another. Sample (N = 21) included 13 women and 8 men with age range 21-50 years. Sample was selected from different private and public universities and hospitals of Lahore. Emerging themes were analyzed using bottom up thematic analysis. Results indicated that an effective academic leader should have IQ and EQ, be visionary, and should bring everyone together. The participants mostly agreed that there is leadership crisis in Pakistani higher education institutes. They described various reasons for the crisis situation which mainly implied the responsibility to existing leaders, infrastructure, social decline, and policies.

Modular CBT for Youth Social Anxiety Disorder: A Case Series Examining Initial Effectiveness

ABSTRACTCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most efficacious treatment for childhood anxiety disorders. At the same time, several studies showed that for children and adolescents with social anxiety disorder (SAD), standard protocolized CBT seems to be less efficacious than for youth with other types of anxiety disorders, suggesting that children with SAD need a different approach. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a modularized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children with SAD, including mindfulness. Ten children and adolescents (50% girls, aged 8–17 years) referred for SAD were measured at pretreatment, posttreatment and 10 weeks follow-up. Results showed that 5 youths (50%) were free of their SAD posttreatment, and 8 (80%) at follow-up. Clinically meaningful improvements from pretest to follow-up were found in 90% and 60% of the cases, for the total anxiety symptom score and social anxiety symptom score, respectively. Pre-post-follow-up group analyses revealed significant improvements in SAD severity (combined parent and child report) and social anxiety symptoms across child, mother, and father report. The remission rate of 80% and substantial social anxiety symptom decline is promising, providing a starting point for improving treatments of youth with SAD.

Environmentally-Friendly Planning for Urban Shrinkage

Urban shrinkage has become a widespread phenomenon in contemporary urbanisation. Shrinking cities present multiple shrinkage-connected problems, where the most acute ones are demographic and social decline caused by bad economic performance. These problems are usually mirrored in urban space and thereby matters for urban planning, which, predictably, proposes mainly economic- and demographic-based models and solutions for shrinking cities. The other factors, such as environmental issues, are not well-established both in relevant theory and practice. Generally, environmental issues play a minor role for shrinking cities. However, they can be the factors to cause or to display the consequences of urban shrinkage, but they can also contribute to overcome related challenges. Therefore, environmental issues are unavoidable in any future agenda or policy in urban planning towards shrinking cities.The first step in the process of linking these two scientific fields – the concept of shrinking cities and environmental science – is certainly to check which environmental issues are relevant for the phenomenon of urban shrinkage. This is the main purpose of this research. It aims to collect and systematise the current knowledge about these links. The findings of this investigation bring new interrelations for the multi-face character of the concept of shrinking cities. Therefore, this research presents a new input how to strengthen currently weak links between the concept and shrinking cities and environmental studies, to facilitate a more adaptive planning for urban shrinkage.

Social Participation and Functional Decline: A Comparative Study of Rural and Urban Older People, Using Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study Longitudinal Data

This study compared the relationship between social participation, including work, and incidence of functional decline in rural and urban older people in Japan, by focusing on the number and types of organizations older people participated in. The longitudinal data of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) that followed 55,243 individuals aged 65 years or older for six years were used. The Cox proportional hazards model was employed to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) of the incidence of functional decline over six years and the stratification of rural and urban settings. In this model, we adjusted 13 variables as behavioral, psychosocial, and functional confounders. The more rural and urban older people participated in various organizations, the more they were protected from functional decline. Participation in sports (HR: rural = 0.79; urban = 0.83), hobby groups (HR: rural = 0.76; urban = 0.90), and work (HR: rural = 0.83; urban = 0.80) significantly protected against the incidence of decline in both rural and urban areas. For both rural and urban older people, promoting social participation, such as sports and hobby groups and employment support, seemed to be an important aspect of public health policies that would prevent functional decline.

Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change Amid Decline and Revival ed. by J. Rosie Tighe and Stephanie Ryberg-Webster

Reviewed by: Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change Amid Decline and Revival ed. by J. Rosie Tighe and Stephanie Ryberg-Webster Henry Himes Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change Amid Decline and Revival. Edited by J. Rosie Tighe and Stephanie Ryberg-Webster. (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2019. 240 pp. Hardcover $45.00, ISBN 978-0-8229-4563-5.) Coming out of the global catastrophe of World War II, the United States stood alone as the world's preeminent economic power. The postwar world witnessed strong economic growth and the emergence of an expanding middle class promoted by the strength and size of the US labor movement along with Keynesian demand side economic policies. The period from roughly 1946 to the mid 1970s, also known as the "Affluent Era," unfortunately did not last forever. By the mid- to late- 1970s, the country witnessed the emergence of neoliberalism, a stagnating economy, the decline of labor, and the phenomenon of deindustrialization and globalization, all of which negatively impacted once sizable and vibrant industrial cities such as St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Cleveland. From the mid-1970s to the present, these urban industrial powerhouses witnessed significant economic, social, political, and cultural decline as both industry and people abandoned the city. In its wake came the Rust Belt, and what many scholars today call "Legacy Cities." J. Rosie Tighe and Stephanie Ryberg-Webster's edited compilation Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change Amid Decline and Revival focuses on analyzing various aspects and phenomenon of legacy cities such as the impact of urban decline, urban planning and policy, and possible paths forward that could help legacy cities stabilize their populations, promote diversity and equity, and spur economic growth. The authors note, "the term legacy evokes these cities' positive heritage and assets as well as their continuing burdens and challenges." (3) The book is an edited compilation of essays from a host of academics of various backgrounds and disciplines. The totality of the book focuses on the past, present, and future of legacy cities. The book is subdivided into three sections. Section one, "US Legacy Cities: Conditions and Prospects," is the broadest in scope of all the sections as it does not focus on any one legacy city, but instead focuses on analyzing key legacy city issues. The various authors in this section tackle important topics, such as legacy city politics with an emphasis on jurisdictional fragmentation as well as the impact of population decline on city resources, economic decline and the loss of tax revenue, the built environment, and housing decline and decay. Section one ultimately exposes the reader to the myriad issues faced by all legacy cities, while sections two and three turn inward and focus specifically on legacy city issues [End Page 118] associated with Cleveland, Ohio. The essays in section two focus on decline in Cleveland and tackle such topics as racial segregation, neighborhood-level economic decline, and regional housing issues. Section three also focuses on Cleveland; however, emphasizing various policies that can help stem the tide of economic decline and help to revitalize the city. The essays in section three focus on the built environment, the promotion of legacy city art and cultural institutions, mitigating industrial environmental issues, and mitigating regional political fragmentation. Throughout the entire book, the authors emphasize the need for "equitable planning" and a "holistic" approach to problem-solving. (247) In addition, the authors suggest the book is designed to provide, "a better understanding of the conditions of decline, the prospects for mitigating decline, and the possibilities for the future." (246) Indeed, with this work, the authors do just that. Ultimately, Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change Amid Decline and Revival is chock-full of valuable history, analysis, policy, and insights pertaining to legacy cities that is accessible and useful to both the novice and academic reader. Henry Himes Youngstown State University Copyright © 2020 The Kent State University Press

Did Social Connection Decline During the First Wave of COVID-19?: The Role of Extraversion

In two pre-registered studies, we tracked changes in individuals’ feelings of social connection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both studies capitalized on measures of social connection and well-being obtained prior to the COVID-19 pandemic by recruiting the same participants again in the midst of the pandemic’s upending effects. Study 1 included a sample of undergraduates from a Canadian university (N = 467), and Study 2 included community adults primarily from the United States and the United Kingdom (N = 336). Our results suggest that people experienced relatively little change in feelings of social connection in the face of the initial reshaping of their social lives caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploratory analyses suggested that relatively extraverted individuals exhibited larger declines in social connection. However, after controlling for levels of social connection prior to the pandemic (as pre-registered), the negative effect of extraversion reversed (Study 1) or disappeared (Study 2).

Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases in the Elderly.

This chapter focuses on the epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases in elderly adults who are 65 or older. Risk factors for morbidity and mortality, as well as variables associated with disability and physical and social functional decline in the elderly individuals are considered. Modifiable risk factors, such as life habits are differentiated from unmodifiable ones, such as age and sex. The chapter concentrates in particular on the impact of hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes on cardiovascular diseases and mortality, as well as the effect of cigarettes smoking, physical activity, obesity and isolation on cardiovascular diseases and quality of life. The results demonstrate that cardiovascular diseases are not necessarily a consequence of aging; instead, they are often linked to modifiable risk factors. We can conclude that specific, targeted prevention interventions should preferably be implemented when individuals are young, but they are also useful in the elderly not only to prolong life but also to improve their quality of life.

Underdevelopment of rural tourism in Serbia: Causes, consequences and possible directions of development

The aim of this paper is to analyze the development of rural tourism in Serbia. The paper uses the method of survey research, analysis, synthesis, comparative and statistical methods. The author concludes that rural tourism in Serbia is underdeveloped. The reasons for this are numerous, and they primarily relate to problems and limitations in the development of supply, but also to the lack of demand. The consequences are the economic and social decline of rural areas. In order to develop rural tourism in Serbia, it is necessary to adopt new strategic documents, regulations and provide favorable continuous sources of financing for the development of all segments of the offer. For the purpose of balanced rural development, it is necessary to form an association at the national level, which should have branches in all administrative districts and play a key role in the further development of rural tourism in Serbia.

Altar Call of Cthulhu: Religion and Millennialism in H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos

Religion suffuses H.P. Lovecraft’s (1890–1937) short stories—the most famous of which, “The Call of Cthulhu,” has led to a literary subculture and a shared mythos employed by Lovecraft’s successors. Despite this presence of religion in Lovecraft’s work, scholars of religion have paid relatively little attention to Lovecraft and the Cthulhu mythos, with a few notable exceptions. This article offers a close analysis of millennialism within Lovecraft’s thought, especially as expressed in three of his “Cthulhu mythos” stories: “The Call of Cthulhu,” “The Dunwich Horror,” and “The Shadow over Innsmouth.” This article considers Lovecraft’s formative experiences and non-fiction writings so as to contextualize his approach and millennial outlook. Tied to his nativist views of social decline, I argue that Lovecraft expresses in his fiction a peculiar form of millennialism, “anti-millennialism,” which entails the reversal of traditional millennialism, offering no hope in a collective salvation, but rather expectation that the imminent future would bring only decline.

Populism in Place: The Economic Geography of the Globalization Backlash

A populist backlash to globalization has ushered in nationalist governments and challenged core features of the liberal international order. Although startling in scope and urgency, the populist wave has been developing in declining regions of wealthy countries for some time. Trade, offshoring, and automation have steadily reduced the jobs and wages of industrial workers since at least the 1970s. The decline in manufacturing employment initiated the deterioration of social and economic conditions in affected communities, exacerbating inequalities between depressed rural areas and small cities and towns, on the one hand, and thriving cities, on the other. The global financial crisis of 2008 catalyzed these divisions as communities already in decline suffered deeper and longer economic downturns than metropolitan areas where superstar knowledge, technology, and service-oriented firms agglomerate. We document many of these trends across the US and Europe, and demonstrate that populist support is strongest in communities that experienced long-term economic and social decline. Institutional differences in labor markets and electoral rules across developed democracies may explain some of the variation in populists’ electoral success. Renewed support for the liberal international order may require a rejuvenation of distressed communities and a reduction of stark regional inequalities.

Living well with cognitive decline and dementia

Nursing and Residential CareVol. 21, No. 12 CommentLiving well with cognitive decline and dementiaAysha MendesAysha MendesFreelance journalist, specialising in health, psychology and nursingSearch for more papers by this authorAysha MendesPublished Online:18 Nov 2019https://doi.org/10.12968/nrec.2019.21.12.672AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View articleReferencesCare Quality Commission. Cracks in the pathway: people's experiences of dementia care as they move between care homes and hospitals. 2014. https://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/themed-inspection/cracks-pathway (accessed 7 November 2019) Google ScholarClare L, Nelis SM, Quinn C et al.. Improving the experience of dementia and enhancing active life—living well with dementia: study protocol for the IDEAL study. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2014; 12(164). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-014-0164-6 Google ScholarDepartment of Health and Social Care. Living well with dementia: a national dementia strategy. 2009. https://tinyurl.com/y3k38e8p (accessed 21 October 2019) Google ScholarESRO. A good life with dementia. 2014. https://tinyurl.com/y6dl3xhp (accessed 7 November 2019) Google ScholarHackett RA, Steptoe A, Cadar D, Fancourt D. Social engagement before and after dementia diagnosis in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. PLoS One. 2019; 14(8):e0220195. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220195 Crossref, Google ScholarMarioni RE, Proust-Lima C, Amieva H et al.. Social activity, cognitive decline and dementia risk: a 20-year prospective cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2015; 15:1089. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-2426-6 Crossref, Google ScholarMendes A, Palmer SJ. Dementia and mental health: a blurry interface. Nurs Res Care. 2018; 20(6):274—276. https://doi.org/10.12968/nrec.2018.20.6.274 Link, Google ScholarMilne A. Depression in care homes. In: Chew-Graham CRay MG. Mental health and older people: a guide for primary care practitioners. Cham (Switzerland): Springer International Publishing; 2016:145—160. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29492-6_13 Crossref, Google ScholarPrince M, Knapp M, Guerchet M et al.. Dementia UK: second edition—overview. 2014. http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/59437/1/Dementia_UK_Second_edition_-_Overview.pdf (accessed 7 November 2019) Google ScholarRegan M. The interface between dementia and mental health: an evidence review. 2016. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/Dementia%20paper.pdf (accessed 7 November 2019) Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 December 2019Volume 21Issue 12ISSN (print): 1465-9301ISSN (online): 2052-2932 Metrics History Published online 18 November 2019 Published in print 2 December 2019 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

Il paese delle pensioni anticipate e delle culle vuote

In a recent book (La società signorile di massa, 2019), the sociologist Luca Ricolfi has provided an interpretation of Italy’s economic and social decline in recent decades. It would have become a lordship society, in which the economy has been stagnating for over two decades and in which “the citizens who access the surplus without working are more numerous than the citizens who work”. Ricolfi examines some of the major problems of contemporary Italy: the growing gap between the Center-North and the South; the stagnation of labor productivity for over twenty years; the reduced level of education of the population. It ends by signaling the risk of a “slow Argentinization” of Italy.The book presents a shareable description, but does not indicate the mechanisms that generated, and generate, the current situation in Italy. In particular, Ricolfi ignores the past and future dynamics of the systematic deficits in pension and welfare expenditure (regulated by political decisions) from the 1980s onwards. It also ignores the reduced female fertility rates, among the lowest in the world. The first contributed (1,491.18 billion euros in thirty-six years) to the creation of a gigantic public debt; the reduced fertility caused an increase in the average age. This also results from a comparison between Italy and other advanced countries.In Greek mythology the god Chrónos devoured his children for fear of being dethroned by them. The son Zeus, saved by his mother, drove his father into Tartarus, inaugurating a kingdom of order and justice over gods and men. In Italy, the country of early pensions and empty baby cots, the kingdom of Zeus still seems far away.

Islam and Politics in Malaysia since 1957 Fluctuation between Moderation and Radicalisation of the State, Society and Religion

This paper discusses the relationship in post-independence Malaysia between the state, civil society and the country’s dominant religion, that is, Islam. When Malaya obtained independence from the British in 1957, many expected that Islam would lead to social and economic decline. The constitution states that Islam is the state religion, although it also states that religious freedom for non-Muslims is assured without discrimination. Since then, religious affairs have remained a state responsibility and Malaysia has been hailed for decades as an oasis of moderate Islam. However, during the last few years religiously motivated hatred has become prevalent and popular in Malaysia for many reasons. This paper underlines the factors that have led to the growth of hate and the decline of the moderate Islam previously found in Malaysia. It proposes that the radicalisation of Malaysian Muslims should be evaluated within the framework of current geopolitics and the impact on the well-being of the Muslim world, rather than localising it into regional and national faults. The paper argues that Islam in Malaysia is an instrument that shapes the political behaviour of the public and the ruling elite. Lastly, the paper proposes that effective governance and ensuring that citizens’ rights are respected are some of the most effective ways of eliminating extremism and preventing radicalisation.