Poslední úprava: Atanaska Metodieva, Ph.D. (03.10.2023)
Annotation
Welcome to our course, where we delve into the world of how terrorist groups and extremist movements come into existence and operate. Throughout this journey, you will explore a wide range of practices these groups employ, from the use of social media for propaganda to fundraising efforts and their responses to significant real-world events such as wars, elections, and pandemics.
We'll begin by examining the pivotal role that ideology, social networks, and grievances play in the process of terrorist mobilization. You'll gain insights into the inner workings of these groups, understanding why individuals choose to join them and how they become a part of these extremist movements. This knowledge is crucial when developing threat analyses and counter-extremism strategies for national and international organizations.
To equip you with the necessary tools for in-depth analysis, we will also dive into theories related to collective action, collective identity, charismatic leadership, and the political opportunities that facilitate the growth of terrorist organizations. These theories will empower you to critically assess and comprehend the dynamics at play within these groups.
Towards the conclusion of our course, our focus will shift to the strategies employed by states to counter violent extremism. We will explore disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration approaches, shedding light on how governments aim to bring individuals back into society and away from extremist influences.
As you embark on this academic journey, you will not only gain valuable knowledge but also develop a deeper understanding of the complex world of terrorism and extremism, equipping you with the insights needed to make informed assessments and contribute to countering these challenges effectively.
Week 1 (Oct 5) Introduction to the course + lecture: The Radical Milieu of Terrorism: Groups, Movements, Networks and Lone Wolves
Week 2 (Oct 12) Seminar: The Role of Ideology in Contemporary Terrorism: Islamist and Right-wing
Week 3 (Oct 19) Seminar: Mobilisation Effect of Grievances in Terrorism
Week 4 (Oct 26) Seminar: Social Networks, Collective action, and Collective Identities
Week 5 (Nov 2) Seminar: The Role of social media in terrorist propaganda. Cyber activism and cyber warriors. How to counter terrorist activities online?
Week 6 (Nov 9) Seminar: The Foreign Fighters Phenomenon: Recruitment Patterns
Week 7 (Nov 16) Seminar: Framing and Narratives: Terrorist responses to real-life events.
Week 8 (Nov 23) Seminar: Female mobilisation roles and patterns
Week 9 (Nov 30) Seminar: Charismatic Leaders, Leader-led vs. Leaderless Mobilisation, Political Parties and Terrorism
Week 10 (Dec 7)Seminar: Fundraising Campaigns as a Form of Mobilisation
Week 11 (Dec 14) Seminar: Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration Strategies in Countering Violent Extremism
Week 12 (Dec 11 or Nov 20) Movie screening
Cíl předmětu - angličtina
Poslední úprava: Atanaska Metodieva, Ph.D. (10.09.2023)
Aim of the course
Students will gain experience in discussing dilemmas concerning mobilisation and demobilisation approaches. They will further obtain knowledge in identifying mobilisation patterns, choosing appropriate approaches to analyse terrorist groups and events. Students will be asked to prepare a presentation, which analyzes a terrorist group's mobilisation activities. A final assignment for this course is to write a research paper on a topic from one of the course's sessions after discussing their ideas with the lecturer. Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to engage critically with the research-based literature on terrorism and radical mobilisation.
Podmínky zakončení předmětu - angličtina
Poslední úprava: Atanaska Metodieva, Ph.D. (10.09.2023)
The course consists of 12 sessions X 80 min: 2 lectures - one introductory and one concluding, and 10 seminars.
The course work consists of three elements: in-class work, class presentations, and a research paper.
- In-class work includes participation and discussion in the seminars. Accounts for 10% of the final grade.
- Class presentations account for 20% of the final grade. Presentations are done individually. The in-class group presentation should take no more than 12 minutes.
- The final research paper (max 4000 words, all included), written individually, will make up 70% of the final grade.
Class attendance is mandatory:
- Each 80-minute session counts as one class (missing one session will count as an absence).
- Excused absences must be communicated in advance via email and/or supported by documentation (eg a medical note).
- Each unexcused absence will result in a reduction of the final grade by one step, for example from a B+ to a B, then from a B to a B- etc.
- Unexcused absences require completion of a missed class assignment within one week: a 500-word review of the required readings for that class.
- The first two unexcused absences will not result in a grade reduction if an adequate missed class assignment is submitted before the deadline.
- Students are expected to leave their mobile phones, beepers, pagers, and so forth switched off.
- Students may not use laptops or netbooks for any reason other than taking notes. Do not surf the Web during class time. If you do, you will lose the privilege to use a laptop or netbook.
Literatura - angličtina
Poslední úprava: Atanaska Metodieva, Ph.D. (10.09.2023)
The course literature is divided into required reading (two articles/chapters per session) and recommended readings. Both are listed in the weekly sessions, below. Podcasts and videos are also part of the course material.
Students are expected to have read the required reading before each class.
The recommended readings include three articles/book chapters for each session. The articles are available in the library and/or on the e-learning platform.
There is no single main textbook for the course. The following books are recommended:
1. Leonard Weinberg, The end of terrorism? Routledge, 2012. A good short book that complements Cronin, How terrorism ends very well.
2. Richard English, Terrorism: How to Respond, Probably the best short introduction to terrorism
3. Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism , 2017. Probably the best general single-authored book on terrorism.
4. Martha Crenshaw (ed), Terrorism in Context, 1995 . The best collection of case studies of terrorist groups and campaigns.
5. Louise Richardson, What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Enemy, Containing the Threat , Random House 2008 [303.6 25 RIC]. Excellent on terrorism motivation.
Metody výuky - angličtina
Poslední úprava: Atanaska Metodieva, Ph.D. (10.09.2023)
Teaching methods
Classes take place in person: Room C520
For remote participation:
ADD Teams link:
Sylabus - angličtina
Poslední úprava: Atanaska Metodieva, Ph.D. (11.09.2023)
Week 1
Oct 5
The Radical Milieu of Terrorism: Groups, Movements, Networks and Lone Wolves
Required readings:
Stefan Malthaner and Peter Waldmann. 2014. The Radical Milieu: Conceptualizing the Supportive Social Environment of Terrorist Groups
The Role of Ideology in Contemporary Terrorism: Islamist and Right-wing
Case for a presentation: Islamic State or Far Right in Europe
Required readings:
Klein, Graig R.. 2016. Ideology Isn't Everything: Transnational Terrorism, Recruitment Incentives, and Attack Casualties, Terrorism and Political Violence, 28:5, 868-887
Jeppe, Fuglsang Larsen & Sune Qvotrup Jensen. 2021. Everyday Religion and Radical Islamism – A Contribution to Theorizing the Role of Religion in Radicalization Studies, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism
Terrorism 360: EP 13: ISIS and Religiously Inspired Terrorism: A Conversation with Jessica Stern:
Roy, Olivier. 2017. Political Islam after the Arab Spring, Foreign Affairs, November/December 2017.
A.W. et al. 2013. Terrorism--a (self) love story: redirecting the significance quest can end violence, October 2013 American Psychologist 68(7):559-575
Week 3
Oct 19
Mobilizations Effect of Grievances in Terrorism
Case for a presentation: Ireland (IRA) and Palestine (IRGUN, LEHI)
Required readings:
Piazza, James A. 2006. Rooted in Poverty?: Terrorism, Poor Economic Development, and Social Cleavages, Terrorism and Political Violence, 18:1, 159-177
Schmid P. Alex. 2016. Links between Terrorism and Migration, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism the Hague (ICCT)
Recommended readings:
Berrebi Claude. 2007. ‘Poverty and Terrorism among Palestinians’, Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, 2007, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-38
Alan B. Krueger and Jitka Malečková. 2003. Education, Poverty, and Terrorism: is there a causal connection?, Journal of Economic Perspectives, VOL. 17, NO. 4, Fall 2003 (119-144)
Week 4
Oct 26
Social Networks, Collective action, Collective Identities, Charismatic Leaders
Case for a presentation: The Red Brigades or ETA
Required readings:
Lorenzo Bosi and Donatella Della Porta. 2012. ‘Micro-mobilization into Armed Groups: Ideological, Instrumental and Solidaristic Paths’, December 2012, Qualitative Sociology
Clark McCauley & Sophia Moskalenko 2008 Mechanisms of Political Radicalization: Pathways Toward Terrorism
Ingram J. Haroro (2013) “The Charismatic Leadership Phenomenon in Radical and Militant Islamism” Chapter 1
Recommended readings:
Donatella Della Porta. 2008. Research on Social Movements and Political Violence
Dina Al Raffie. 2013. Social Identity Theory for Investigating Islamic Extremism in the Diaspora, Journal for Strategic Security Vol. 6 > No. 4 (2013)
Passy Florence. 2002. “Social Networks Matter. But How?” In ‘Social Movements and Networks: Relational Approaches to Collective Action Mario Diani and Doug McAdam’
Cristina Flesher Fominaya. 201. ‘Collective Identity in Social Movements: Central Concepts and Debates’
Ingram J. Haroro (2013) “The Charismatic Leadership Phenomenon in Radical and Militant Islamism” Chapter 2
Thomas Hegghammer. 2020. The Caravan Abdallah Azzam and the Rise of Global Jihad, Cambridge University Press, Chapter 3 The Fighter (47-65).
Tim Pat Coogan. 2002. Michael Collins: The Man Who Made Ireland
Bergen, Peter L. The Osama bin Laden I know: An oral history of al Qaeda's leader. Simon and Schuster, 2006.
Gottschling, Von André. "Biographisches Porträt: Andreas Baader." Jahrbuch Extremismus & Demokratie 16 (2004): 187-203.
Fisher, Marc. "Baader-Meinhof Gang Baader-Meinhof: The Inside Story of the RAF." Biography 32, no. 4. 2009. 924-925.
Cases to discuss in class: Osama Bin Laden (Al Qaeda), Michael Collins (IRA), Gudrun Ensslin & Andreas Baader (Red Army Faction).
Week 5
Nov 2
The Role of social media in terrorist propaganda. Cyber activism and cyber warriors. How to counter terrorist activities online?
Case for presentation: The Islamic State
Required readings:
Meili Crisis Create, Connect, and Deceive: Islamic State Supporters' Maintenance of the Virtual Caliphate Through Adaptation and Innovation
Jytte Klausen. 2015. Tweeting the Jihad: Social Media Networks of
Western Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 38:1, 1-22.
‘Deepfake Doomsday’: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Amplifying Apocalyptic Islamist Propaganda
Adam Henschke. 2021. “Terrorism and the Internet of Things:Cyber-Terrorism as an Emergent Threat” in Henschke et. al. 2021. Ethics and Technology: Emerging challenges at the Frontiers of Counter Terrorism
Fainberg, Alisa. 2017. Spread the Word: Russia Social Media on the service of jihad
Whittaker Joe. 2021. The online behaviors of Islamic State terrorists in the United States
Edwards, Charlie and Gribbon Luke. 2013. ‘Pathways to Violent Extremism in the Digital Era
Online Jihadist Propaganda, Europol report 2020
Week 6
Nov 9
The Foreign Fighters Phenomenon: Recruitment Patterns
Case for presentation: Foreign fighters in the Afghan War or the Spanish Civil War
Required readings:
Coolsaet Rik. 2015. What drives Europeans to Syria, and to IS. Insights from the Belgian Case.
Sean C. Reynolds and Mohammed M. Hafez. 2017. Social Network Analysis of German Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq, Terrorism and Political Violence.
Koch Ariel. 2019. ‘The Non-Jihadi Foreign Fighters: Western Right-Wing and Left-Wing Extremists in Syria’.
Recommended readings:
Thomas Hegghammer. 2013. “Should I Stay or Should I Go? Explaining Variation in Western Jihadists' Choice between Domestic and Foreign Fighting”, American Political Science Review, 107(1), 1-15.
Malet David ‘The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) in Foreign Fighters: Transnational Identity in Civic Conflicts
Legiec Arkadiusz 'Profiling Foreign Fighters in Eastern
Ukraine: A Theoretical Introduction', NATO Science for Peace and Security Series - E: Human and Societal Dynamics, Volume 134.
Dawson Lorne L. Comparative Analysis of the Data on Western Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq: Who Went and Why’, ICCT
Lorne L. Dawson & Amarnath Amarasingam. 2017. Talking to Foreign Fighters: Insights into the Motivations for Hijrah to Syria and Iraq
Malet David. 2015. Foreign Fighter Mobilization and Persistence in a Global Context.
Week 7
Nov 16
Framing and Narratives: Terorrists’ response to real-life events.
The discourse of Revolution and Defensive Mobilization
Case for presentation: Far Right in Europe
Required readings:
Peter R. Neumann. 2010. Chapter Four: The Message
Richard McNeil-Willson. 2020. Framing in times of crisis: Responses to COVID-19 amongst Far-Right movements and organisations, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism The Hague (ICCT)
Recommended readings:
Shesterinina Anastasia. 2016. Collective Threat Framing and Mobilization in Civil War
Garth Davies, Edith Wu & Richard Frank. 2021. A Witch’s Brew of Grievances: The Potential Effects of COVID-19 on Radicalization to Violent Extremism, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism.
Bouko etl al. 2021. Discourse patterns used by extremist Salafists on Facebook: identifying potential triggers to cognitive biases in radicalized content
Moss, David. "Analysing Italian political violence as a sequence of communicative acts: the Red Brigades 1970-1982." Social Analysis: The International Journal of Social and Cultural Practice 13 (1983): 84-111.
Week 8
Dec 23
Female mobilization roles and patterns
Case for a presentation: the Islamic State
Required readings:
Verdegaal M. 2018. The Role of Gender in Extremism, Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN)
Joana Cook and Gina Vale. 2018. “From Daesh to Diaspora: Tracing the Women and Minors of Islamic State” Kings College.
Recommended readings:
David Cook. 2005. Women Fighting in Jihad?, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism.
Tina Askanius. 2021. Women in the Nordic Resistance Movement and their online media practices: between internalised misogyny and “embedded feminism”, Feminist Media Studies.
Week 9
Dec 30
Charismatic Leaders, Leader-led vs. Leaderless Mobilisation, Political Parties and Terrorism
Required readings:
Haroro, J. Ingram. 2013. The Charismatic Leadership Phenomenon in Radical and Militant Islamism. Farnham: Ashgate. Chapter 1
William A. Douglass and Joseba Zulaika. 2009. “On the Interpretation of Terrorist Violence: ETA and the Basque Political Process”, Comparative Studies in Society and History, Volume 32, Issue 2, April 1990, 238 – 257.
Krista E. Wiegand. 2009. Reformation of a Terrorist Group: Hezbollah as a Lebanese Political Party, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 32:8, 669-680.
Paul Wilkinson, Terrorism versus Democracy: The Liberal State Response, 2006, chapters 4 (diplomacy), 5 (law enforcement) and 6 (military)
Thomas Ayres. 2004. Batasuna Banned: The Dissolution of Political Parties under the European Convention of Human Rights
Anisseh Van Engeland. 2008. “Hezbollah: from a Terrorist Group to a Political Party – Social Work as a Key to Politics”, In 'From Terrorism to Politics'
Week 10
Dec 7
Fundraising Campaigns as a Form of Mobilization
Case for a presentation: Al-Qaeda
Required readings:
Freeman Michael. 2011. The Sources of Terrorist Financing: Theory and Typology
Davis, Jessica. 2021. Illicit Money: Financing Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century, Chapter 1
Recommended readings:
Freeman Michael and Ruehsen Moyara. 2013. Terrorism Financing Methods: An Overview.
Schindler, Hans-Jakob, 'Misuse of online services for the financing of terrorism.
Schindler. Hans-Jakob. 2020. Further development of European Union regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies necessary to mitigate risks of terrorism financing
Eisermann. 2020. Cryptocurrencies as Threats to Public Security and Counter Terrorism: Risk Analysis and Regulatory Challenges
Horgan John and Taylor Max. 2007. Playing the ‘Green Card’‐financing the provisional IRA.
Romaniuk Peter. 2014. The State of the Art on the Financing of Terrorism.
Week 11
Dec 14
Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Strategies in Countering Violent Extremism
Required readings:
Chris Bosley. 2019. Injecting Humanity: Community-Focused Responses for People Exiting Violent Extremist Conflict, United States Institute for Peace, No 452 August 2019
David Malet. 2021. Countering violent extremism: assessment in theory and practice, Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 16:1, 58-74.
Recommended readings:
Arjen Boin et al. The Politics of Crisis Management: Public Leadership under Pressure, Cambridge University Press, 2005, chapter 7
David Malet & Rachel Hayes. 2020. “Foreign Fighter Returnees: An Indefinite Threat?”, Terrorism and Political Violence, 32:8.
Leonard Weinberg, The end of terrorism? Routledge, 2012, Chapter 4 on success, 73-94.
Louise Richardson. 2008. “What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Enemy, Containing the Threat” Random House.
