Terrorism as “A political world”: Identity, strategy, values

Abstract Purpose The aim of the chapter is to outline a framework for a cultural analysis of terrorism. It is based on an analogy between the logic that characterizes terrorism and the logic that characterizes the “worlds” of artistic and cultural production. Design methodology/approach This chapter...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inUnderstanding Terrorism Vol. 22; pp. 135 - 157
Main Author Palano, Damiano
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published United Kingdom Emerald Group Publishing Limited 21.06.2014
Emerald Publishing Limited
Subjects
Politics
Public Policy & Environmental Management
Terrorist attack
axiological rationality
art worlds
instrumental rationality
radicalization
Terrorism
psychology of terrorism
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Summary:Abstract Purpose The aim of the chapter is to outline a framework for a cultural analysis of terrorism. It is based on an analogy between the logic that characterizes terrorism and the logic that characterizes the “worlds” of artistic and cultural production. Design methodology/approach This chapter critically examines some explanations of the logic of terrorism which respectively assign a central role to individual psychology, the rational choice of the group and values. It is therefore based on secondary sources. Findings The chapter argues that the logic of terrorism can be fully understood only as a result of the “cultural” construction of collective and individual identities. Research limitations/implication The chapter provides a framework for a cultural analysis of terrorism. Originality/value of the chapter The chapter borrows the concept of a “political world” and makes of it a central tool to explain the set of symbolic products that characterizes terrorism.
ISBN:1783508272
9781783508273
ISSN:1572-8323
1572-8323
DOI:10.1108/S1572-8323(2014)0000022012