Emergence of Right-Wing 'Woke' Ideology: A New Study

Recent research published in the *Scandinavian Journal of Psychology* by Oskari Lahtinen, a senior researcher at the INVEST Research Flagship Centre at the University of Turku, reveals that identity-based political attitudes, often labeled as “woke,” are not solely a phenomenon of the political left. The study identifies a parallel ideology on the political right, characterized by white identity grievance and a desire to regulate speech in alignment with conservative values. This research aims to fill a gap in political psychology by providing a psychometrically valid tool to measure these right-wing attitudes.

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Lahtinen's study involved an online survey of 626 Finnish adults conducted between March and June 2025. Participants completed two primary measures: the newly developed Critical Right Scale (CRS) and the Revised Critical Social Justice Attitudes Scale (CSJAS-R). The CRS assessed beliefs related to population replacement, perceived discrimination against white individuals, and the notion that conservative values should dictate permissible speech. The CSJAS-R measured support for concepts such as structural racism and the necessity of safe spaces.

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The results indicated a strong negative correlation between the two scales, suggesting that individuals who scored high on one scale typically scored low on the other. High scores on the CRS were predominantly found among voters for the Finns Party and the Christian Democrats, while high scores on the CSJAS-R were associated with voters for the Left Alliance and the Greens.

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The study also explored the justification of political violence. It found that high scores on the left-wing CSJAS-R had a small-to-moderate positive association with the justification of violence against “politically dangerous” individuals, whereas the CRS showed no significant association with such justifications. Additionally, the research examined the concept of “locus of control,” revealing that individuals with high critical social justice attitudes tended to have an external locus of control, while those with critical right attitudes exhibited an internal locus of control.

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Lahtinen's findings suggest that identity-based “woke” politics exist on both ends of the political spectrum, albeit in different forms. He noted that while left-wing attitudes focus on structural racism, right-wing attitudes emphasize perceived threats to white identity. The study supports the “horseshoe theory” of politics, indicating that far-left and far-right ideologies may exhibit similar behaviors despite opposing goals.

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However, the research has limitations, including its reliance on a non-random sample and its focus solely on Finland, which may not fully represent broader political dynamics. Lahtinen emphasized the need for future studies to validate the Critical Right Scale in other contexts, particularly in the United States, where these discourses often originate.

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Lahtinen stated, “The main takeaway is that identity-based ‘woke’ politics now exist on both the left and the right, but they take different forms.” He also expressed a desire for U.S. researchers to further explore and validate these findings, highlighting the importance of understanding these ideological clusters in a broader context.

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• “For years, ‘wokeness’ has been discussed almost exclusively as a left-wing phenomenon,” — Oskari Lahtinen, Senior Researcher

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• “I was surprised by how neatly the two scales behaved psychometrically and how cleanly they divided into two constructs that share a strong negative correlation,” — Oskari Lahtinen, Senior Researcher

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• “The results should not be read as claims about entire populations or political parties,” — Oskari Lahtinen, Senior Researcher

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This study represents a significant step in understanding the complexities of political identity and the emergence of right-wing ideologies that parallel left-wing “woke” attitudes.

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