The contribution of social movement theory to understanding. Also, terrorism is analyzed from a different conceptual framework and underlying causes of terrorism with case studies are presented. In todays climate, these is a powerful need for a balanced, expert and accessible account of the psychology of terrorists and terrorism. Library of congress federal research division the sociology and psychology of terrorism 1 executive summary. Hughbank in the law enforcement community, we have multiple theories as to how a criminal act can be prevented or reacted to once committed. Its explanation may be biased by political assumptions and social prejudices.
Although war and terrorism have been part of the human experience for thousands of years, their manifestation in the contemporary era is particularly frightening, thanks to evermore powerful weapons, including nuclear arms, that threaten human existence. The cause that is worth killing for and even dying for. It is not to be confused with critical terrorism studies which sometimes overlaps with the psychology of terrorism. Those people who have a negative view of human nature, i. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Although early writings on the psychology of terrorism were based mostly in psychoanalytic theory e. Social media and terrorism applied social psychology asp. Sociology and psychology of terrorism homeland security digital. Dunkel western illinois university macomb, il, usa alan s. Sep 16, 2014 psychological theories of terrorism terrorism has existed for long even before the advent of recorded history. With its sarin attack on the tokyo subway system on march 20, 1995, the. Truly fundamental questions about terrorism are psychological and sociopsychological in nature.
Although acts of terrorist violence are conducted by individuals or small groups, such actors typically belong to broader organizations. It gives a good look into the mind of the terrorist and the organizational set up. Likewise, we have begun to design strategies and tactics. T he root of modern terrorism go back to late 19 th century, but at the threshold of the 21 st century this phenomenon has reached unprecedented proportions and has become a menace to civilized societies worldwide. Sociology of terrorism is an emerging field in sociology seeking to understand terrorism as a social phenomenon and how individuals as well as states respond to such events. At a minimum, there are three approaches to studying terrorism. It also outlines the psychological and sociological characteristics of terrorists of different generations. Terrorism is the most clear and present danger we confront today, yet no phenomenon is more poorly understood by policymakers, the media, and the general public. The sociology and psychology of terrorism who becomes a terrorist and why. Volume i, a public understanding psychological dimensions to war and peace series chris e.
Sociology and psychology of ter rorism, by the federal research. Mind of a terrorist the sociology and psychology of terrorism html exec. Its a very good book with facts that i wasnt aware of. The subject is so confounded by problems of diversity, complexity, and definition that any simplifying approach is bound to tempt one to use it beyond. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Psychology of terrorism encyclopedia of peace psychology 2010 randy borum, university of south florida. Thus, there exists no single root cause of terrorism, or even a common set of causes. Because this survey is concerned not only with assessing the extensive literature on sociopsychological aspects of terrorism but also providing case studies of about a dozen terrorist groups, it is limited by time constraints and data availability in the amount of attention that it can give to the individual groups, let alone individual leaders. The sociology and psychology of terrorism library of congress. Why do some individuals decide to break with society and. Working definitions one of the major debates among scholars of terrorism revolves around the definition of the term. Do terrorists share common traits or characteristics.
With its sarin attack on the toky o subway system on march 20, 1995, the. In particular, future research on terrorism, strategies linked to counter terrorism, legal and public policy reform, and the relevance of utilizing a sociologically animated social psychology in the assessment of other forms of criminal behavior are all very tentatively explored. The psychology of terrorism who becomes a terrorist and why pdf printed resources arendt, hannah. What should you look for as we examine the diverse theories of terrorism proposed by scholars from many disciplines. Definitions for terrorism in the literature vary substantially, and there is no one unanimously accepted demarcation of the practice. The psychological effects of witnessing terrorism require renewed and even more intensive study, particularly in light of the events that have taken place in france, though affect the lives of many nonfrench citizens who postevent take their trauma with them back to their own countries of dwelling. Terrorism clearly indicates that the nature of man has not changed, but three significant issues including commerce globalization, transfer of information and travel. Psychological factors in terrorism and counterterrorism. Psychological theories of terrorism premium assignment help.
Division of the library of con gress, alqaidas expected retaliation for the u. The purpose of this study is to focus attention on the types of individuals and groups that are prone to terrorism in an effort to help improve u. Beck department of sociology, stanford university abstract the study of terrorism and political violence has been characterized by a lack of generalizable theory and methodology. I find it interesting of how someone can manipulate another persons mind and get them to do their bidding mixing religouspolitical ideology. Social psychology and fear of terrorism we argue that an individuals general view of human nature is a crucial determinant of her fear of terrorist attacks. This tradition is very much recent in the case of terrorism, although, for some time, the psychopathological consequences of terrorist attacks and the need for their treatment have been pointed out. Analysis of sociological and psychological aspects find, read and.
Terrorism, like many other horrific types of violence, has begged in the minds of many for a psychological explanation. This paper outlines a psychosocial approach to suicide terrorist attacks. Schwartz center for family studies, department of epidemiology and public health leonard m. Conversely, social psychology stands at a unique place in the fight against worldwide terrorism.
The aim here is to note what has been learned about the social origins and dynamics of terrorism in order to suggest agendas for future research. Underlying causes of terrorism, such as poverty, inequality, injustice, instability stemming from immigration, or effects of globalization should be targeted. Policy makers and experts disagree about their theoretical perspectives. Understanding terrorist psychology chapter 2 in andrew silke ed. Mindsets of mass destruction new types of postcold war terrorists in the 1970s and 1980s, it was commonly assumed that terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction wmd would be counterproductive because such an act. Their outlook is one that divides the world simplistically into them and us. The political psychology of terrorist alarms philip g. Though terrorism has manifold aspects addressable by numerous scientific disciplines, it can be viewed as essentially rooted in human psychology. We develop this explanation in two consecutive stages. They kill for cause and comrades, that is, with a combination of ideology and intense smallgroup dynamics. The application of the social learning theory to domestic terrorist recruitment richard j. How social science can reduce terrorism social psychology.
Written by an expert team of psychologists and psychiatrists, these contributors have direct experience of working with terrorists, victims and those tasked with the enormous responsibility of attempting to. Essential primary sources in toosimple terms, terrorists kill for the same reasons that groups have killed other groups for centuries. War and terrorism are both forms of armed conflict that aim to defeat an opponent. While some emphasize elements of fear infliction 910. Arguably the main foci of sociological studies of terrorism should be the. Hulsizer, webster university 2004 overview this document contains an annotated bibliography of materials on war, ethnopolitical conflict, terrorism, and peace issues written from a psychosocial perspective. Waterman department of psychology the college of new jersey ewing, nj, usa. The application of social learning theory to domestic. Finally, the list was submitted to the three senior academic consultants on the. Oct 05, 20 from the sociology and psychology of terrorism library of congress, 1999 the appended case study of ahmed ramzi yousef, mastermind of the world trade center wtc bombing on february 26, 1993, reported here does not suggest that he is schizophrenic or sociopathic. The psychological development of the terrorist mind set. The sociology of terrorism 14 role of culture and language in politics. The research and systematic analysis that has been done on the topic, however, show that neither mental illness nor a simple lack of conscience are significant primary causes of terrorism.
It tries to solve the problems and symptoms individuals encounter because their behavior is in part a science. The psychology of counter terrorism forthcoming oxon, uk. The contribution of social movement theory to understanding terrorism colin j. The sociology of terrorism has been understudied, even though considerable literatures on various forms of social conflict and violence have been produced over the years. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Library of congress federal research division the sociology and psychology of terrorism 2 essentially anyone who is not a fundamentalist muslim or an aum shinrikyo member. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Undoubtedly, a comprehensive psychology of terrorism should transcend individuallevel analyses. The notion of terrorism is applied to a great diversity of groups with different origins and goals. Understanding how differing factions of people relate, exist, and prosper is paramount and foundational to applied social psychology. Miller school of medicine, university of miami miami, fl, usa curtis s.