Essentials of Terrorism: Concepts and Controversies
SAGE Journal Articles
Click on the following links. Please note these will open in a new window.
INTRODUCTION TO THE ARTICLES
The study of terrorism and political violence is a challenging field of study that requires experts, students, and members of society to understand the underlying reasons for the growth of terrorist environments, as well as the characteristics of these environments. Those who examine terrorism must necessarily study data and theories grounded from a variety of disciplines, including political science, conflict resolution, history, psychology, sociology, and the administration of justice.
Societies and the international community are perennially challenged by the problems of dissident and state-sponsored terrorism. These problems are not new, and have historically posed very serious policy and human challenges for governments and resident populations. Unfortunately, these are problems that have not been solved, and which continue to be present on a global scale. Political violence is found in many regions, and exists across many ethno-national, religious, and ideological belief systems. There are no ideal political, national, or social profiles that guarantee immunity from the possibility of being touched by terrorist violence.
The purpose of this online resource is to stimulate critical discussion about the attributes and idiosyncrasies of terrorism and terrorist environments. This resource is organized into thematic parts which correspond to the textbook’s chapters. Articles have been selected from reputable scholarly journals, and additional articles are recommended for further study.
The study of terrorism and political violence is a challenging field of study that requires experts, students, and members of society to understand the underlying reasons for the growth of terrorist environments, as well as the characteristics of these environments. Those who examine terrorism must necessarily study data and theories grounded from a variety of disciplines, including political science, conflict resolution, history, psychology, sociology, and the administration of justice.
Societies and the international community are perennially challenged by the problems of dissident and state-sponsored terrorism. These problems are not new, and have historically posed very serious policy and human challenges for governments and resident populations. Unfortunately, these are problems that have not been solved, and which continue to be present on a global scale. Political violence is found in many regions, and exists across many ethno-national, religious, and ideological belief systems. There are no ideal political, national, or social profiles that guarantee immunity from the possibility of being touched by terrorist violence.
The purpose of this online resource is to stimulate critical discussion about the attributes and idiosyncrasies of terrorism and terrorist environments. This resource is organized into thematic parts which correspond to the textbook’s chapters. Articles have been selected from reputable scholarly journals, and additional articles are recommended for further study.
TEN CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
- Does a central cause exist which explains terrorist violence?
- Is it possible to accurately predict the likelihood of terrorist violence?
- What are the policy implications of research that indicates an association between political repression and subsequent terrorist violence?
- Do “hard line” approaches effectively reduce the incidence of terrorism?
- Are particular socio-economic environments responsible for the formation of terrorist environments?
- Are innovations such as peace processes effective?
- How popular is the current “war on terrorism?” What explains different public opinions in different countries?
- What are some of the challenges faced by reformers who sincerely seek to redress grievances that are championed by violent extremists?
- How important are international organizations such as the United Nations for preventing terrorist violence?
- Has enough research been conducted on the sociological and psychological causes of extremist behavior?
Chapter Four: Terrorist Violence and the Role of the Media
Sean Aday, Steven Livingston, and Maeve Hebert analyze the objectivity of several broadcast news organizations in their reporting of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Amy Fried evaluates contextual reporting of terrorism in print media. News magazine photographic coverage of the “war on terrorism” in Afghanistan and Iraq is assessed in Michael Griffin’s article. Sarah Harris analyses two cases of “digital activism” in Turkey and the suppression of such activism through “networked erasure.” Lee, Hongtao, and Lee examine how two of the most preeminent U.S. newspapers--New York Times and Washington Post--editorially invoked Tiananmen as a "news icon" in the past twenty years. The public relations strategies of the Pentagon and extremists are discussed and compared by Eric Louw. Frank Möller discusses the importance of visual imagery in the post-9/11 era. Describing an interesting perspective on the media, Kirsten Morgensen argues that television coverage of terrorist attacks is a specific genre of journalism. In their article discussing communication and the terrorist threat, Mythen and Walk critique media and government assessments and distortions of the threat. Michelle Slone reports research on differential stress responses to terrorism reporting by the public in Israel. In a polemical article, Philip Taylor argues that the West can win the “propaganda war” against terrorism. Wolfsfeld, et. al. explore how different journalistic routines theoretically lead to the reportage of ethnocentric news. Joshua Woods analyzes press coverage of terrorism during an eight-year period spanning the September 11, 2001 attacks.