Critical Terrorism Studies
Encyclopedia
Critical Terrorism Studies is a controversial new sub-discipline of Terrorism studies. It attempts to encourage criticism of the discipline of Terrorism studies itself and to widen debate by Terrorism studies researchers in part by applying insights from Critical Theory
generally and the Frankfurt School
in particular.
published in European Political Science
. This followed the establishment of a working group and conference in 2006 under the auspices of the British International Studies Association. Further work has led to the creation of a new journal - Critical Studies in Terrorism - published by Routledge (Magnus Ranstorp
is also on the editorial board).
Other areas of research and criticism include:
(or state sponsored
) terror. David Miller argued in his 2006 article - Terrorism studies' and the war on dissent - that this distinction should be one of the principal focuses of critical terrorism studies.
Noam Chomsky
in a 1986 interview argued that the word "terrorism" had been redefined in political and popular discourse to only refer to the violent acts of small or marginal groups - a type of terrorism he called "retail terrorism". This is contrasted with violent acts performed by the State in its own interest which orthodox terrorism studies often excludes from consideration.
appointment as Associate Professor to the Australian Defence Force Academy
sparked national debate in Australia. Mervyn Bendle a Senior Lecturer at James Cook University
in Townsville Australia wrote an article in the magazine Quadrant and an opinion piece for The Australian
newspaper claiming that Burke sympathised with terrorists and used "postmodernist jargon" to demean Australian values and way of life.
Burke responded by requesting that James Cook University begin an investigation into Bendle for academic misconduct - a request he subsequently withdrew. He claimed that while Bendle had accurately quoted him, he had defamed him and misrepresented his widely-stated view that terrorism was immoral and politically counter-productive.
Critical theory
Critical theory is an examination and critique of society and culture, drawing from knowledge across the social sciences and humanities. The term has two different meanings with different origins and histories: one originating in sociology and the other in literary criticism...
generally and the Frankfurt School
Frankfurt School
The Frankfurt School refers to a school of neo-Marxist interdisciplinary social theory, particularly associated with the Institute for Social Research at the University of Frankfurt am Main...
in particular.
History
The need for Critical Terrorism Studies was first proposed by Jason Franks in his book, 'Rethinking the Roots of Terrorism' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006)and later developed in an article - The Case for a Critical Terrorism Studies by Richard Jackson, Jeroen Gunning and Marie Breen SmythMarie Breen Smyth
Marie Breen Smyth is an academic author, teacher and researcher originally from Northern Ireland. She has published on topics such as the Northern Ireland conflict, particularly the human impact, trauma, victim politics, children and armed conflict, research ethics and methods, religion and...
published in European Political Science
European Political Science
European Political Science is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the European Consortium for Political Research , since 2005 in collaboration with Palgrave Macmillan...
. This followed the establishment of a working group and conference in 2006 under the auspices of the British International Studies Association. Further work has led to the creation of a new journal - Critical Studies in Terrorism - published by Routledge (Magnus Ranstorp
Magnus Ranstorp
Dr Magnus Ranstorp, born March 13, 1965 in Hästveda, studies Hizballah, Hamas, al-Qaeda and other militant Islamic movements. He is the Research Director of the Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the Swedish National Defence College, directing a project on Strategic Terrorist Threats to Europe...
is also on the editorial board).
Areas of research
Jackson, Gunning and Smyth claim that the western state-centrism of Terrorism studies and the surrounding discourse has led to a "moral certitude" and a reluctance to consider the motivations of terrorists. The orthodox discourse which casts all terrorists as evil (rather than their acts) eliminates opportunities for consideration of motivation because of the risk of appearing to justify or condone their actions. Within this framework attempts to examine the motivations of terrorists can be labeled apologetics and dismissed or researchers themselves can be demonized.Other areas of research and criticism include:
- problems with the scholarly definition of TerrorismDefinition of terrorismThere is neither an academic nor an international legal consensus regarding the proper definition of the word "terrorism". Various legal systems and government agencies use different definitions of "terrorism". Moreover, the international community has been slow to formulate a universally agreed...
itself. (Jackson claims there are over 200 definitions) - methodological problems with TerrorismTerrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
research. - cultural biases in examining the subject of Terrorism
- sources of funding for Terrorism related research and the organizations they belong to (particularly private think tanks and government security agencies)
- the failure of Terrorism studies to consider its own epistemological and ontological foundations, particularly from a social constructivistSocial constructionismSocial constructionism and social constructivism are sociological theories of knowledge that consider how social phenomena or objects of consciousness develop in social contexts. A social construction is a concept or practice that is the construct of a particular group...
perspective.
Terrorism definitions - retail terror vs state and state sponsored terror
An important criticism of orthodox terrorism studies is the distinction made between non state terror or anti western non state terror and stateState terrorism
State terrorism may refer to acts of terrorism conducted by a state against a foreign state or people. It can also refer to acts of violence by a state against its own people.-Definition:...
(or state sponsored
State-sponsored terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism is a term used to describe terrorism sponsored by nation-states. As with terrorism, the precise definition, and the identification of particular examples, are subjects of heated political dispute...
) terror. David Miller argued in his 2006 article - Terrorism studies' and the war on dissent - that this distinction should be one of the principal focuses of critical terrorism studies.
Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
in a 1986 interview argued that the word "terrorism" had been redefined in political and popular discourse to only refer to the violent acts of small or marginal groups - a type of terrorism he called "retail terrorism". This is contrasted with violent acts performed by the State in its own interest which orthodox terrorism studies often excludes from consideration.
Controversy in Australia
In 2008 Anthony Burke'sAnthony D. Burke
Anthony Burke is an Australian political theorist and international relations scholar. He is Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations in the University of New South Wales....
appointment as Associate Professor to the Australian Defence Force Academy
Australian Defence Force Academy
The Australian Defence Force Academy is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force .Tertiary education is provided by the...
sparked national debate in Australia. Mervyn Bendle a Senior Lecturer at James Cook University
James Cook University
James Cook University is a public university based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The university has two Australian campuses, located in Townsville and Cairns respectively, and an international campus in Singapore. JCU is the second oldest university in Queensland—proclaimed in 1970—and the...
in Townsville Australia wrote an article in the magazine Quadrant and an opinion piece for The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
newspaper claiming that Burke sympathised with terrorists and used "postmodernist jargon" to demean Australian values and way of life.
Burke responded by requesting that James Cook University begin an investigation into Bendle for academic misconduct - a request he subsequently withdrew. He claimed that while Bendle had accurately quoted him, he had defamed him and misrepresented his widely-stated view that terrorism was immoral and politically counter-productive.