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 Six: Terrorism by Dissidents
Enders and Su present a discussion of how terrorist networks inevitably restructure themselves in response to proactive counterterrorist policies. Margaret Gonzalez-Perez analyzes the roles of women within internationalist and domestic guerrilla organizations. An interesting comparison of Colombia’s FARC and paramilitaries is presented by Francisco Gutierrez-Sanin. Mundy examines the politics of naming civil wars and the definitions of civil war. Raleigh discusses the proliferation of dissident paramilitaries in Africa. Kevin Siqueira discusses strategic interactions between governments and terrorist groups as they compete for public support. The article by Eli Somer, et. al., reports qualitative research on the effect of stress on Israeli hospital workers who treat civilian casualties. Spencer and croucher present a study which tests “spiral of silence” theory as it pertains to ETA in Spain and France. Anna Lisa Tota presents a cultural discussion of commemorative rituals, using three train bombings as case studies. West and Orr evaluate the effects of perception and emotion during incidents of urban terrorism.
Bunn and Wier evaluate the important question of the feasibility of nuclear weapon construction by terrorists. Charles Curtis addresses the question of whether demand for WMDs can be reduced. Karen Douglas, et. al. investigated online self-enhancement strategies by White supremacist groups. Similarly, Margaret Duffy presents an analysis of the online activities of American hate groups, as does Brian Levin in his article. Iqbal and Zorn examine the political consequences of assassinations of heads of state. Continuing the thread of discussion on nuclear terrorism, Simon Saradzhyan offers a case study of potential nuclear terrorism in Russia, and in her article Lynne Snowden explores the potentiality that violent extremists will attempt to develop or otherwise obtain nuclear weapons. Micah Zenko presents an historical review of intelligence estimates of nuclear terrorism.