The Gig Economy: A New Lens for Understanding Domestic Violent Extremism

There has been a movement in the domestic violent extremism space in which individuals are no longer only loyal to one extremist organization or even one specific ideology. Individuals are now able to be affiliated with multiple extremist organizations, making it harder for agencies and researchers to adapt. Alongside this shift, there has been an increase in the usage of gig work and temporary work. The similar shifts towards multiple-group and non-standardized membership necessitate updating models and frameworks for understanding what it means to be a member of an organization at large. To that aim, this article provides a review of the literature surrounding the parallels between the shifts toward the gig economy and lone actor domestic extremism.