Terrorism: Social Causes and Perspectives
Purpose:
The aim of this paper is to analyze the origin of different interpretations of the events connected with terrorism, with special emphasis put on different interpretations of causes and consequences of terrorism. The objective is to show that the same logic has perpetrated the causes of the problem and is being used to solve it.
Design/Methods/Approach:
This research into the social causes of terrorism leans against a critical theoretical perspective and uses a historical comparative method aimed at deconstructing some taken-for-granted perspectives regarding terrorism and its actors. It brings the understanding of the causes of terrorism into connection with the history of mutual relationships between today's main actors of global terrorism and anti-terrorism in the wish to explain the consequences of terrorism as resulting from the stable and continued relationship between the main actors.
Findings:
The analysis has shown that current approaches to dealing with the problem of terrorism are so strikingly unsuccessful because, among other reasons, they rely on the same logic that led to the problem in the first place and thus cannot be used to solve the problem. Current power relations between the actors of “terrorism” and “anti-terrorism” point to the need for a possible alternative approach to preventing the mutually complementing “terrorist” and “anti-terrorism” violence.
Originality/Value:
The greatest value of this analysis is that it offers a view of the problem of terrorism based in the tradition of sociological theory, particularly that of deviance, serving thus as an important complement to more customary criminalist, criminological, psychological and legal perspectives. Without such historically grounded and sociologically informed approach, critical perspective would not be possible.
UDC: 343.3
Keywords: terrorism, colonialism, center, periphery, the logic of power, power relations