Terrorism and Societies

This book examines a range of influential terror groups from the last 40 years and explores relationships between people and local and global social processes and activities that result in acts of terrorism in different societies. Through adapting a multifaceted approach to terrorism, this volume is designed to provide a detailed analysis of terror groups. And by examining Islamic groups alongside nationalist, 'red' and far right organisations, important similarities in the social contexts, experiences of members and some of their demands are identified. In other words Vertigans argues that in some respects 'al-Qa'ida' related groups are not as unusual as is widely thought.A number of common questions are raised including:* Which ideologies do terror groups hold.* What is it about societies and social contexts that contribute towards groups forming and people joining.* Which socialising agents are influential in people joining groups* How important is history in the formation of terror groups.* Why do the majority of people who share experiences not become part of the same group.These questions are applied to a range of case studies of contemporary relevance. The groups studied originated from Europe, the United States, Asia and Africa and are associated with religion, nationalism, pro state terrorism, militias and racism. Each chapter is designed to enable the reader to gain a clear understanding about the reasons why particular terror groups form before comparative analysis is undertaken later in the text to draw out commonalities and distinctions. As such the book enhances our levels of knowledge about key aspects of terrorism, namely discourse, routes into terrorism, roles of socializing and the social contexts in which groups develop. This volume should be recommended reading for courses on terrorism, conflict, sociology of religion and globalization in addition to appropriate area studies.