On Defining Terrorism: Text And Context – A Qualitative Approach

Constructions of Terrorism, 2019

Constructions of terrorism emanate from a wide range of sources. Governments and international organizations create criminal laws and administrative lists defining who is a terrorist or what acts constitute terrorism. In society, discussions among its members and the press play a major role in how the words terrorism and extremism are used and applied, which in turn influences public understanding and government policy. Terrorist groups themselves contribute to these constructions through the rationales and justifications they use for their actions. Today we are seeing the continual reference to terrorism in everyday language, government policy, news reporting, and international diplomacy and from various groups and uprisings. With the term being used to describe a wide range of violence, it is difficult to formulate effective government responses aimed at prevention and eradication. It further makes things difficult in societal settings for creating conducive environments for reconciliation. This volume seeks to establish appropriate research frameworks for understanding how we construct understanding(s) of terrorism. From the perspective of countering terrorism and extremism, if there is not a well-developed understanding of the object of these frameworks, they will not be effective. Assessments of the literature of terrorism have revealed consistent and troubling shortcomings. Lum, Kennedy, and Sherley and Andrew Silke carefully examined studies of terrorism published over the previous decades and the great explosion of terrorism research after 9/11. 1 The most germane findings about terrorism and counterterrorism research in their two studies help frame the contributions that have been reviewed here. The first finding is that most of the publications on terrorism have been contributions by scholars who were relatively new to the subject. These scholars discovered terrorism as a problem, usually after a particularly

2004

This analysis begins by exploring various reasons that the concept of terrorism has evaded a widely agreed upon definition for so long despite the efforts of so many writers. Emphasis is placed on the difficulties associated with all “essentially contested concepts.” In addition, the investigation calls attention to such problems as conceptual “stretching” and “traveling.” In an effort to solve the difficulties, the inquiry attempts to determine a consensus definition of terrorism by turning to an empirical analysis of how the term has been employed by academics over the years. Specifically, the well-known definition developed by Alex Schmid, based upon responses to a questionnaire he circulated in 1985, is compared with the way the concept has been employed by contributors to the major journals in the field: Terrorism, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, and Terrorism and Political Violence. The 22 “definitional elements” of which Schmid's definition is composed are compared to the frequency with which they appear in the professional journals. If these elements appear frequently in both the Schmid definition and those employed by the journal contributors, they are then used to form a consensus definition of the concept. The most striking feature of this academic consensus over the meaning of terrorism is the virtual absence of references to the psychological element, heretofore widely thought to be at the heart of the concept.

Terrorism and political violence, 2004

Terrorism has been situated-and thereby implicitly also defined-in various contexts such as crime, politics, war, propaganda and religion. Depending on which framework one chooses, certain aspects of terrorism get exposed while others are placed 'outside the picture' if only one framework is utilised. In this article five conceptual lenses are utilised: 1. terrorism as=and crime; 2. terrorism as=and politics; 3. terrorism as=and warfare; 4. terrorism as=and communication; and 5. terrorism as=and religious fundamentalism. TERRORISM AS=AND CRIME 1 Most, if not all activities commonly perpetrated by terrorists, are considered illegal if not always illegitimate by the international community. Typical expressions of terrorist violence such as indiscriminate bombings, armed assaults on civilians, focused assassinations, kidnappings, hostage-taking and hijacking are considered criminal offences in national or international laws. While the criminal nature of acts of terrorism is widely accepted, most observers acknowledge the presence of political motives underlying certain terrorist activities. The two categories-crime and politics-do not exclude each other, as is exemplified by the concept of 'political crime', which exists in some legal frameworks. The motive or intent of a crime might be 'political', but the act itself is considered 'criminal'. It is worthwhile to recall what exactly a 'crime' is. Crime has been defined as 'the intentional commission of an act usually deemed The views and opinions expressed in this paper are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent positions of the United Nations where the author serves as Senior Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer in the Terroism Prevention Branch of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna.

Terrorism is a multi dimensional phenomenon and this publication aims at comprehending it. This book has unique characteristics in terms of its focus on different issues; it has a comprehensive focus on the conceptualization of terrorism and understanding of it. It does not only explain the concept, it also addresses the important issues which help us to really understand why and how individuals commit such an act. Issues range from social and psychological analysis of a terrorist behavior to extremist subcultures and globalization. This publication also successfully reviews and analyzes underlying causes of terrorism and what really makes it valuable is that the chapters present the topics with relevant data which is current and up-to-date. Issues such as inequality, globalization, immigration, gender, and democracy are analyzed with research involving comprehensive data analysis. Furthermore, the book has both theoretical discussion and practical experience which makes this study a source book for the academicians and practitioners. It reflects the experience and knowledge of the authors most of whom have both academic and practical experience in the field. The chapters have the analysis based on professional experience and successful academic research.

EJMSS, 2024

This study analysed the perception of terrorism and identified the problem of lack of universal or precise definition of terrorism by various authorities and scholars. The study attempted to analyse available definitions of terrorism and determine what may be universally acceptable as the standard definition. Qualitative research methodology was adopted in the generation and analysis of secondary data. Findings from the research shows that there are diverse perceptions of terrorism as presented by different scholars. However, the central idea or theme that is found in all the various definitions and perceptions of terrorism by countries and scholars is that, terrorism is a political violence designed to induce terror and fear through violence and destruction of lives and properties. Based on these findings, the study recommends that stakeholders handling terrorism related issues around the world, should resort to using political construct as standard measure to address the scourge of terrorism. Keywords: Definition, Perception, Terrorism, Understanding, War

Global Society, 2009

This draft paper is a phenomenological, critical and ontological examination of the idea of terrorism and the notion of a terrorist act. The paper looks at the ideological foundations of terrorism, and the presentation of terrorism and terrorist acts in media and communication in language and discourse. More particularly, there is a specific examination of the ontology and phenomenology of the term through four lenses: terrorism as performance, terrorism as ritual embodiment, terrorism as a double-sided experiential phenomenon, and terrorism as political discourse linked to power. There is also emphasis on terrorism as reflecting a clash of worldviews and value systems throughout the paper. The paper also discusses radicalisation and deradicalisation.

Security Dimensions, 2020

The article refers to selected aspects of knowledge about terrorism and its typology. The introduction explains the etymology of this concept and highlights the problem of diversity in the definition of terrorism. The next part cites several definitions of terrorism, which, in the author’s opinion, reflect the essence of this phenomenon. The difference between terrorism and terror, which are two terms that should not be used interchangeably, is also explained. The next part of the article illustrates the source of the problem which makes it impossible to agree on a commonly accepted definition of terrorism by giving an example of the wording of the Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism. Then, the inherent feature of terrorism is explained, which is its asymmetry. The last part of the article concerns a typology of terrorism. It presents in a synthetic way various categories of terrorism, distinguished according to such criteria as: actors, motives, strategic (final) goals...

Critical Studies on Terrorism, 2010

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