Radicalisation: A Global and Comparative Perspective

by James R. Lewis (Editor), Akil N. Awan (Editor)

Overview

Radicalization has become an important part of the twenty-first-century security and political landscape. It is a seemingly ubiquitous term, employed by academics, policymakers, civil society actors, practitioners and media alike, in ever-expanding ways--describing everything from changing domestic social movements to the growth of international terrorism. This volume provides a comprehensive treatment of "radicalization": the processes during which individuals or groups adopt increasingly extreme political, social or religious beliefs, positions or aspirations, particularly in cases associated with the use of violence. Adopting a multifaceted and comparative approach, the contributors interrogate this phenomenon from wide-ranging social, ideological, religious and historical angles. The first part of the book explores how academia has engaged with the concept of radicalization, including the ontological and epistemological concerns of Critical Terrorism Studies; theoretical models for understanding radicalization; and approaches to radicalization through the various lenses of identity, gender, youth and media. The second part explores manifestations of radicalization through a range of diverse case studies, including the Falun Gong movement; Aum Shinrikyo; Far-Right trans-nationalism; white nationalist lone wolves and the "Great Replacement" thesis; ISIS and Western jihadists; deradicalization programs; hero myths; the Extreme Right in Eastern Europe; and the dark side of globalization.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780197783351
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/01/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

James R. Lewis was Professor of Philosophy at Wuhan University and a much-published scholar of New Religions and Religion&Terrorism. Akil N. Awan is Associate Professor of Modern History and Terrorism and Director of the Conflict, Violence and Terrorism Research Centre at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction, Akil N Awan and James R. Lewis. SECTION I: APPROACHES TO RADICALIZATION 1. Problematizing Radicalization, Richard Jackson and Kieran Ford. 2. The Social Ecology Model of "Homegrown" Jihadist Radicalization, Lorne L. Dawson. 3. Routes to Terrorism: A Rational Choice Perspective to Radicalization, Stephen C. Nemeth. 4. Radicalization as Identity Reconfiguration and Narrative Resonance: the Case of IS in Europe, Akil N Awan. 5. Processes of Radicalization On Screen: How we Canonize The White Saints of Freedom, Christopher Hartney. 6. Interpreting the Radicalization of Youth: What can research on NRM converts tell us about Westerners who join radical Islamic groups? Margrethe L??v. 7. Myths of Heroes and Radicalization, Heather S. Gregg. 8. Beyond Women: Rethinking Gender and Radicalization, Elizabeth Pearson. SECTION II: PRISMS OF RADICALIZATION 9. Falun Gong: The Radicalization of a Religious Movement, Ning Xudong and James R. Lewis. 10. Aum Shinrikyo and the "Aum Incident": The Radicalization of a Young Japanese Religious Group, Martin Repp. 11. Creating the discourse of religious radicalization in Kyrgyzstan, Meerim Aitkulova. 12. Transnational Far Right Digital Publics and Radicalization, Caterina Froio & Bharath Ganesh. 13. Between offline and online violent radicalization: Repertoires of Action of the Extreme Right in Eastern and Central Europe, Manuela Caiani. 14. 'The Radicalization of Western Man': The Great Replacement, White Radical Nationalism, and Lone Wolf Violence, Mattias Gardell. 15. The Collapse of Cultures: Jihadis, the Alt-Right and the Dark Side of Globalization, Scott Atran. 16. Making De-Radicalization: The Framing of De-radicalization in the UK and Nigeria, Gordon Clubb. 17. Counter-Radicalization Surveillance as a Public Health Measure: Counterterrorism in the Public Sector, Charlotte Heath Kelly.

Editorial Reviews

"Radicalisation is a first-class, innovative and highly constructive study of one of the most important issues relating to extremism, with insights from the top names in the field. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the topic."— Michelle Bentley, Director of the Centre for International Security, Royal Holloway, University of London

"An in-depth and up-to-date account of some of the ongoing challenges and concerns relating to radicalization. Original and bold in its scope, this volume will be one of the most important in the field." — Tahir Abbas, Professor of Radicalisation Studies, Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University

"This wide-angled book offers a welcome pluralistic and global perspective on the concept of radicalization. It is destined to become essential reading for scholars and students interested in the multiple ways radicalization has been deployed in public and academic discourse." — Sarah Marsden, Senior Lecturer, Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St Andrews

"Presenting a range of international case studies and taking a critical approach, the authors provide authoritative accounts of their chosen topics. An original and welcome contribution to the literature." — John Morrison, Assistant Professor in Criminology, Maynooth University, and co-editor of Radicalization and Deradicalization: Processes and Contexts

From the Publisher