Description
Since the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001, the terrorism literature has expanded into prevention and prediction of evolving threats. Earlier research often lacked academic rigor and empirical depth, and some newer research centered on recent attacks, ideological waves, and exists in isolation from related research in violent terrorism. Criminology, psychology, sociology, social psychology, and communications theory all offer valuable contributions, though sociological theory is still underused in terrorism studies.The Sociology of Violent Extremism highlights the importance of a sociological approach to understanding violent extremism. It promotes established theoretical frameworks as pathways to deeper insights into the social dynamics of these phenomena. This book features interdisciplinary case studies and theoretical developments, showing the value of sociological perspectives in addressing current issues in violent extremism. The book aims to provide researchers with a theoretical "toolbox" that can be deployed in their own work, encouraging the use of sociological theories to improve the understanding of violent extremism and develop effective countermeasures. It emphasizes viewing violent extremism as a result of complex social processes embedded in societal structures.
Table of Contents
Introduction (Suraj Lakhani and Amarnath Amarasingam)Part I: Extremism and IdentityChapter 1: An Existentialist Approach to Violent Extremism (Maja Touzari Greenwood)Chapter 2: What's in the Group? Social Identity, Fused Identities, Role Transitions and Exiting Violent Extremism (Daniel Koehler)Chapter 3: Digital Games as Cultural Assets of Influence (Rachel Kowert and Alex Newhouse)Part II: Emotion, Gender, and Group DynamicsChapter 4: The Role of Emotions in the Radicalisation Process (Mary-Ann Cherry and Sandy Schumann)Chapter 5: Undercover: A Theoretical Framework on Women Gender Passing in Pro-Islamic State Online Spaces (Meili Criezis)Chapter 6: Expressed Sentiment in Online Channels: Communication and Emotion in the Buffalo and Bratislava Attacks (Marc-André Argentino, Kurt Braddock and Erin Saltman)Chapter 7: Microsociology and Violent Extremism: The 2014 Lindt Café Siege (Chris Winter)Chapter 8: ''You think that you'd get laid if it wasn't for advancements in technology'?: A Sociological Analysis of Subordinate Masculinity in Involuntary Celibate Communities (Jade Hutchinson, Kenton Bell and Bharath Ganesh)Part III: Framing, Performance, and IdeologyChapter 9: Far-Right Extremism and the Sociology of Race and Racism (Aaron Winter)Chapter 10: Interrogating Insurgent Ideologies through Framing Theory: The Case of the North Caucasus Insurgency (Mark Youngman)Chapter 11: The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Applying the 'Hero's Journey' to Jihadist Propaganda (Ashton Kingdon and Craig Webber)Chapter 12: Using Bourdieu's Theoretical Toolkit - of Habitus, Capital and Field - to Advance Understanding of Radical Milieus (Joel Busher)
