Lecture 5: Radicalization

1
Lecture 5 Radicalization

• What do we know about terrorist radicalization?

2
Political Radicalization

• Individual
• Group
• Mass

3
Radicalization
How does a government impact the radicalization
process at the individual, group and mass levels?
4
Research on Radicalization

• What strategies are employed by terrorist groups
  to mobilize individuals to choose political
  violence over alternative means?
• How do relatively ordinary, rational individuals
  justify their involvement in terrorist
  organizations and the violence they commit?
• What role do ideological entrepreneurs play in
  constructing a social reality?
• What framing devices are utilized by these
  ideological entrepreneurs? (Mass level reaction,
  dehumanization . . .)

5
Radicalization

• Remember ideological themes
• Guevara Vanguard
• Fanon Violence as necessary
• Marighella Urban warfare
• According to Eidelson Eidelson, What are 5
  beliefs that propel groups toward conflict?

6
Radicalization

• According to Eidelson Eidelson, What are 5
  beliefs that propel groups toward conflict?
• Superiority
• Injustice
• Vulnerability
• Distrust
• Helplessness
• - Where in the world of terrorist ideologies do
  we see these themes represented?
• - 4 of these could be classified as grievances .
  . .
• - Superiority breeds entitlement unmet, becomes
  grievance . . .

p. 188 Importance of in-group validation . . .
7
Radicalization

• Andrew Kidd and Barbara Walter (2006) Five
  political objectives with enduring importance
• Regime change
• Territorial change
• Policy change
• Social control
• Status quo maintenance
• Remember terrorism as driven by desire for power
  to make (or sometimes prevent) change

8
Radicalization

• What is The Logic of Ethnic Terrorism?
• What do ethnic terrorist groups have in common?
• How do they differ from other terrorist groups?
• What does Byman suggest a country should do, and
  not do, when dealing with ethnic terrorism?

9
Radicalization

• A central proposition
• Terrorism is the direct result of an individuals
  choice influenced by a combination of factors and
  perceptions about the world around them
• The roots of terrorist activity lie in the mind
  . . .
• - Gordon McCormick, 2003

10
Summary

• We need to understand
• The critical importance of perception, identity,
  beliefs
• The main elements of the relationship between
  governance and terrorism
• The role that economics, psychology, sociology or
  other grievances play in motivating terrorist
  groups
• The ways, means, contexts for ideological
  resonance

11
Responding to Radicalization

• Countering radicalization requires that we
• Identify places of ideological interpretation,
  especially where youth might be exposed to
  radical ideas (clubs, youth groups, video games,
  Internet, religious or educational places, etc.)
• establish a presence inside the places of
  radicalization in order to reach the audiences
  that are being radicalized from within
• identify interpreters that are recognized as
  authoritative, credible and commanding of
  obedience
• develop the ability to discredit radical ideas as
  unsupported by core values undermine legitimacy
• Identify and support countervailing influences
  within societies, communities, families, and
  other institutions

12
Shaping Perceptions

• Think about how you have formed your view of the
  world, and your place within it.
• Who in your life has influenced your perceptions
  the most?
• What if your influencers were considered
  extremists by others? Would you know?

13
Questions?