If you don't have rapport, you haven't got anything really: affective intensities, relationality and rapport building in the work of CVE Intervention Practitioners

Summary

Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) continues to be a topic of national and international concern; however, within the field of research, there has been limited engagement with the daily work of CVE intervention. The article presents findings from a study which aimed to better understand the strategies CVE Intervention Practitioners employ, specifically rapport building and the fostering of mutual trust. Drawing upon the accounts of 12 practitioners currently working in Australia, we focus on the complex affective negotiations underpinning the client–practitioner relationship. Our analysis foregrounds relationality, a sense of connectedness and explores the affective labour involved in this work. In theorizing the work of CVE intervention, as a form of affective labour, the paper presents three key themes present in the data 1) rapport building to leverage; 2) transparency to build trust and change mindset; 3) versatility/adaptability.

Keywords

CVE Intervention Practitioners; Countering Violent Extremism (CVE);rapport building; Hochschild, affective intensities, relationality