Master Narratives of Islamist Extremism

This volume introduces the concept of Islamist extremist "master narratives" and offers a method for identifying and analyzing them. Drawing on rhetorical and narrative theories, the chapters examine thirteen master narratives and explain how extremists use them to solidify their base, recruit new members, and motivate actions. The book concludes with an integration of the idea of master narratives, their story forms, and archetypes into existing strategic communication understandings, and suggestions for using this approach to create counter-terrorism strategies.

Jeffry R. Halverson is an Islamic studies scholar and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. H. L. Goodall, Jr. is a Professor of Communication at the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. Steven R. Corman is Director of the Consortium for Strategic Communication and a Professor of Communication at the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University.