Skip to main content

Description

QAnon, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Meaning diagnoses a particular social challenge facing Americans in the 21st century: the rise and spread of dangerous conspiracy theories across the internet.

Rather than dismiss such theories as the product of delusions, this book argues that the true conspiracy these theorists are trying to uncover is really located in a critique of neoliberal capitalism, austerity, and economic precarity. The authors contextualize QAnon as a misguided response to larger economic conditions endemic to late capitalism. Such a scholarly approach provides unique insight into some of the salient factors that make conspiracy theories such as QAnon so popular at a time of unprecedented information literacy. In their assessment, fighting conspiracy theories thus requires a radical realignment of the social, political, and economic priorities of the United States.

Accessibility Information

Additional accessibility information

  • PDF/UA-2, 1.4
  • accessibility@bloomsbury.com

Hazards

The publication contains no hazards

Support for non-visual reading

Has alternative text descriptions for images

Navigation

  • Page list to go to pages from the print source version
  • Elements such as headings, tables, etc for structured navigation
  • All or substantially all textual matter is arranged in a single logical reading order

Table of Contents

List of Figures
List of Tables
Introduction: QAnon, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Meaning
Chapter One: Basket of Deplorables: Labeling Theory, Moral Panics, and Subcultural Identity
Chapter Two: The System is Rigged: Structural Betrayal and the Rise of QAnon
Chapter Three: The Gamification of QAnon: Apophenia, Cognitive Dissonance, and Parasociality
Chapter Four: The “Big Tent” Conspiracy Theory: QAnon and the Left
Chapter Five: Who are Q?: The Demographics of Conspiracy Theory
Chapter Six: Do They Really Believe this Stuff?
Conclusion: QAnon Goes Mainstream
Bibliography
Index
About the Authors

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published 15 Oct 2026
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Pages 176
ISBN 9798216260080
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Series The Frankfurt School in New Times
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Christopher T. Conner

Christopher T. Conner is Assistant Professor of So…

Author

Saverio Roscigno

Saverio Roscigno is a sociology PhD candidate at t…

Author

Matthew N. Hannah

Matthew N. Hannah is Associate Professor of Digita…

Related Titles

Environment: Staging