“New terrorism” (Mythen & Walklate 2005, p.382; Mythen & Walklate 2008, p.224), in a post September 11th 2001 (9/11) climate, attacks every aspect of human existence and is “typified by the actions of extreme Islamic fundamentalist groups such as al Qaeda – it is said to be distinct from the forms of terrorism practised by traditional terrorist organisations such as ETA and the IRA” (Mythen & Walklate 2005, p.382). This essay intends to address the social issue of new terrorism through the application of Ulrich Beck’s World Risk Society Thesis which premises upon the idea that we have entered a “world of uncontrollable risk and we don’t even have a language to describe what we are facing. ‘Uncontrollable risk’ is a contradiction in terms. And yet it is the only apt description for the second order, unnatural, human-made, manufactured uncertainties and hazards beyond boundaries we are confronted with” (Beck 2002, p.41). The risk approach to the issue of new terrorism endeavours to examine the construction of terrorism as a global risk through the current political dialogue, and additionally through Michel Foucault’s Governmentality Thesis to provide an analysis of the current counter terrorism strategies employed by governments universally, which inevitably fixate on protections against social bads. The subsequent discussion of Ulrich Beck’s World Risk Society Thesis and Michel Foucault’s Governmentality Thesis will demonstrate the ability of these approaches to provide a heightened understanding of the social issue of new terrorism.
New terrorism entails actions by groups that are defined by their “amorphous aims, disparate organization and capacity to strike across different continents” (Mythen & Walklate 2005, p.382), and a...
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Finding a proper, well-accepted definition of what constitutes terror is extremely difficult. There are many challenges that confront scholars, experts, and everyday people when it comes to defining terrorism and terrorists. Differing backgrounds and cultures of those defining terror in addition to differing histories are just one of the many challenges facing those that wish to define terror. Furthermore, labeling a group or an individual as a terrorist could be considered offensive, especially in today’s politically correct environment, potentially damaging those in the political arena. However, on the flip side, labeling someone as a terrorist can also serve a political purpose as in the case of being propaganda towards a war effort, or to help define an enemy. Nevertheless, the main problem with not being able to have a widely accepted definition of terrorism is that “It is impossible to formulate or enforce international agreements against terrorism” (Ganor, 300).
During the 21st Century acts of domestic and international terrorism have significantly increased. Thus the international community of nations has the challenge to adopt a common approach to the treatment of terrorism as an international crime. The challenge at present is for the international community of nations to adopt a common approach to the treatment of terrorism as an international crime (Lawless, 2008). In fact, terrorism is an international crime it requires the international community to act in the prevention of terrorism and the sanction of individuals perpetrating acts of terrorism(Lawless, 2008). The September 2011 attack on the United States has presented an opportunity for the internationalist forces to come to the forefront of the global political agenda. ...
Rothe, D. & Muzzatti, S.L. 2004. Enemies everywhere: Terrorism, moral panic and US civil society. Critical Criminology. 1(12): 327–350.
The threat of global terrorism continues to rise with the total number of deaths reaching 32,685 in 2015, which is an 80 percent increase from 2014 (Global Index). With this said, terrorism remains a growing, and violent phenomenon that has dominated global debates. However, ‘terrorism’ remains a highly contested term; there is no global agreement on exactly what constitutes a terror act. An even more contested concept is whether to broaden the scope of terrorism to include non-state and state actors.
McDonald, M., 2008. Global Security after 11 September 2011. In: S. Carter, T. Jordan & S. Watson, eds. Security: Sociology and Social Worlds. Manchester: Manchester University Press..
Terrorism is a troublesome theme. Its clarification might be one-sided by political suspicions and social preferences. Strategy producers and specialists differ about their hypothetical points of view. At the very least, there are three techniques to deal with terrorism: large scale sociological, mental, and psychosocial. Since the first two methodologies have gotten more attention in the past decades, this paper will examine the third approach, which has increased increasingly devotees in the course of recent years. Those specialists who subscribe to a full scale sociological methodology view terrorism as an impression of different social dysfunctions or conflictive patterns in the societal framework. In general, terrorism has been linked
There have been a number of major developments in terrorism from the 1970s; elements that are considered different to those that once characterised ‘traditional’ terrorism now have a significant presence in modern terrorism. However, these developments are reflections of our changing world and society, and do not justify identifying that a ‘new terrorism’ has emerged since the late 1980s.
It has been three weeks since the beginning of this class and we have learned so much within those three weeks. Each week was assigned with one module with learning materials. In this paper, I am going to discuss and explain what I have learned in all three modules. In module one, I will focus on international threats from both political and religious perspectives; module two, I will focus on explaining the face of terrorism and their history, and the application of theory; then module three explains the philosophical concepts associated with the will to harm individuals in large numbers.
Terrorism has many forms, and many definitions. “Elements from the American definitional model define terrorism as a premeditated and unlawful act in which groups or agents of some principal engage in a threatened or actual use o...
The word terrorism was first used during the French Revolution from the reign of terror inflicted by the French from 1784-1804 ("International Affairs"). It was used to describe the violent acts perpetrated on the French that inflicted terror on the various peoples and instilled fear within them. However, at the time it had a more positive connotation than the term that instills fear today. During the French Revolution this was because it referred to state-sponsored terrorism in order to show the need of state instead of anarchy, sometimes promoted by other groups (Hoffman 2). Therefore, even though terrorism has taken a new nature, terrorism can refer to official governments or guerrilla groups operating outside national governments ("International Affairs"). In order to encompass terrorism’s various sectors and explain it to the public, in both positive and negative aspects, many analysts have tried to put it into a few words. Terrorism is a method used by tightly of loosely organized groups operation within states or international territories that are systematic in using deliberate acts of violence or threats in order to instill...