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. Although research on violent extremism traditionally focuses on why individuals become involved in terrorism, recent efforts have started to tackle the question of why individuals leave terrorist groups. In the broadest sense, social psychology is the study of how peoples behaviors and thoughts influence, and are influenced by, the actions of others. It also outlines the psychological and sociological characteristics of terrorists of different generations. In recent years both sociological and criminological theories have been advanced to.
Mindsets of mass destruction new types of postcold war terrorists new forms of terroristthreat scenarios introduction terms of analysis defining terrorism and terrorists terrorist group typologies approaches to terrorism analysis the multicausal approach the political approach the organizational approach the physiological approach the. 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. Like all approaches to understanding or explaining human behavior, a psychological approach has advantages and limitations. Walter laqueur5 uses the simple, broad definition terrorism is the illegitimate use of force to achieve a political objective by targeting innocent people.
Sociologists have sought the application introduction to sociology page 7. The psychology of the terrorist 19 terrorist motivation 19. Terrorism is a multi dimensional phenomenon and this publication aims at comprehending it. Perspectives from psychology on radicalization into terrorism. Criminological explanations for terrorism criminology. This article represents an attempt to construct a sociological theory of terrorism by means of six theoretical propositions. Pdf on jan 1, 2007, suleyman ozeren and others published understanding terrorism. Analysis of sociological and psychological aspects find, read and.
The present analysis focuses on the aspect of terrorism where social psychology s voice is perhaps most critical. Library of congress federal research division the sociology and psychology of terrorism 1 executive summary. The purpose of this study is to focus attention on the types of individuals and groups that are prone to terrorism see glossary in an effort to help improve u. 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. Individual responses to terrorism depend on a number of factors. John horgans the psychology of terrorism is one of the best applications of a social science discipline in this case, psychology to explain the drivers that motivate individuals to become terrorists, function as terrorists, and, in ideal cases, disengage from terrorism. Psychology and sociology of terrorism3 and included potentially relevant references that were not already on the list. Theyre finding it is generally more useful to view terrorism in terms of political and group dynamics and processes than individual ones. The twopyramids model pages 205216 mccauley, clark. With its sarin attack on the tokyo subway system on march 20, 1995, the. Generally, terrorism has not been central in criminology, but since september 11, terrorism has suddenly and resolutely moved center stage in criminological debates. Early theories of terrorism however were often the byproduct of thought pieces, and have since been derided by esteemed scholars for dubiously mischaracterizing terrorism.
Developing a sociological theory for the empirical. Federal research division, library of congress, of congress, hudson, rex a books. Research on terrorist disengagement, however, remains conceptually and theoretically underdeveloped. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Publications national criminal justice reference service. The sociology and psychology of terrorism electronic. Introduction to the special issue pages 199204 horgan, john g. Issues range from social and psychological analysis of a terrorist behavior to extremist subcultures and globalization. Social psychological factors pertain to all aspects of terrorism, including how terrorist organizations operate, and the impact of terrorism on everyday people. The sociology and psychology of terrorism who becomes a. The sociology and psychology of terrorism electronic resource. To be more elaborative, sociology deals with the study of the origin, development and functioning of human society. The sociology and psychology of terrorism library of congress. There are hundreds of definitions schmid, 2011, but none dominate.
The threat of violence is included as well as actual violence. Sociology has given importance to the study of social interaction in everyday life in different socio cultural and historical perspective. Terrorism is not a particularly new problem its been a part of the world since civilization first organized. Terrorism and crime studies federal research division.
Role of education in the prevention of violent extremism. This book has unique characteristics in terms of its focus on different issues. The study sociology and psychology of terrorism, reported the findings of frds research of thencurrent literature written by experts on terrorism, inside and outside government, and was commissioned in june 1999 by the national intelligence council and delivered in september 1999. While the multidisciplinary nature of the topic adds depth and richness and provides many entry points for policy dialogue, it can also create confusion and a lack of rigor in the way the topic is covered. In todays climate, these is a powerful need for a balanced, expert and accessible account of the psychology of terrorists and terrorism.
Sociological and criminological explanations of terrorism. Their outlook is one that divides the world simplistically into them and us. 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 would be widely condemned. Psychological factors relating to terrorism are of particular interest to psychologists, political scientists, and government officials, who would like to be able to predict and prevent the emergence of terrorist groups or to thwart the realization of terrorist actions. Sociology has placed high premium on the method of research. Sectionized html version of sociology psychology of terrorism. A general strain theory of terrorism robert agnew, 2010. Research in sociology is becoming more and more rational and empirical. Also included are some of the best treatments in the academic literature on how to define terrorism and conduct. He is the author of several bestselling books, including the leap and spiritual science. Given these complexities, the psychology of terrorism is marked more by theory and opinion than by good science, researchers admit. We can at least say that terrorism is a special kind of strategy that uses public violence intended to effect social or political change, but for an act to be reliably categorized as terrorism or terroristic in nature, it must feature the proximate victimization of. Theories are essential for scientific advances, allowing researchers to test assumptions and to dispel superstitions and prejudices. It is not to be confused with critical terrorism studies which sometimes overlaps with the psychology of terrorism.
The terrorism literature shows three emerging trends. Department of sociology psychology concentration provides a perspective on interpersonal relationships that draws on research conducted in sociology and psychology. The study defines terrorism as the calculated use of unexpected, shocking, and unlawful violence against noncombatants. Second, the study seeks to develop psychological and sociological profiles of foreign terrorist individuals and selected groups to use as case studies in. But a number of psychologists are starting to put together reliable data. Despite how old it is, what we know about terrorist motivations and psychology. 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.
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. Close proximity to the event, severity of exposure, low levels of social support, previous psychiatric. Do terrorists share common traits or characteristics. Terrorism databases that profile groups and leaders quickly become outdated, and this report is no exception to that rule. Definition of terrorism social and political effects. Sociological and psychological aspects of terrorism. Taken together these six propositions attempt to explain counterhegemonic terrorism and the dynamics of organizations that participate in such political violence. Towards a criminological sociology of terrorism and counter terrorism. Difference between sociology and psychology compare the. This focus is not intended to suggest that the scientific discipline of psychology provides the only, or even necessarily the best, analytic framework for understanding terrorism. Understanding terrorism american psychological association. In response to a number of inquiries from the media concerning the report sociology and psychology of terrorism, which was mounted on our website on december 14, 2001, the federal research division frd offers the following background.
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 combat terrorism. 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 emergence of amorphous and largely unknown terrorist individuals and groups operating independently freelancers and the new recruitment patterns of some groups, such as recruiting suicide commandos. Sociological characteristics of terrorists in the cold war period.