Newswise — WASHINGTON, DC, January 5, 2016 — The American Sociological Association (ASA) has a sociologist available to discuss the situation in Oregon involving armed antigovernment protesters.

Pete Simi has a PhD in sociology and is an Associate Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska Omaha. His research focuses on right-wing extremist movements and domestic terrorism. Over the past 15 years, Simi has conducted extensive fieldwork with a variety of white supremacist and antigovernment groups. His current projects address decisions to leave violent right-wing extremist groups and how individuals transition from participation in non-violent political extremism to targeted acts of political violence. Simi’s publications include: “Military Experience, Identity Discrepancies, and Far Right Terrorism: An Exploratory Analysis” in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism and “Negotiating White Power Activist Stigma” in Social Problems.

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About the American Sociological Association The American Sociological Association (www.asanet.org), founded in 1905, is a non-profit membership association dedicated to serving sociologists in their work, advancing sociology as a science and profession, and promoting the contributions to and use of sociology by society.