A Sociopsychiatric Interpretation of Terrorism

Ferracuti, Franco

doi:10.1177/0002716282463001011

Cited by 47 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…According to Franco Ferracuti (1982), a University of Rome professor, a better approach than these and other hypotheses, including the Marxist theory, would be a subcultural theory, which takes into account that terrorists live in their own subculture, with their own value systems. Similarly, political scientist Paul Wilkinson (1974: 127) faults the frustration-aggression hypothesis for having "very little to say about the social psychology of prejudice and hatred..." and fanaticisms that "play a major role in encouraging extreme violence."…”

Section: Frustration-aggression Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Living underground, terrorists gradually become divorced from reality, engaging in what Ferracuti (1982) has described as a "fantasy war." The stresses that accompany their underground, covert lives as terrorists may also have adverse social and psychological consequences for them.…”

Section: Terrorist Rationalization Of Violencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another proponent of this hypothesis, Joseph Margolin (1977: 273-4), argues that "much terrorist behavior is a response to the frustration of various political, economic, and personal needs or objectives." Other scholars, however have dismissed the frustration-aggression hypothesis as simplistic, based as it is on the erroneous assumption that aggression is always a consequence of frustration.According to Franco Ferracuti (1982), a University of Rome professor, a better approach than these and other hypotheses, including the Marxist theory, would be a subcultural theory, which takes into account that terrorists live in their own subculture, with their own value systems. Similarly, political scientist Paul Wilkinson (1974: 127) faults the frustration-aggression hypothesis for having "very little to say about the social psychology of prejudice and hatred..." and fanaticisms that "play a major role in encouraging extreme violence."…”

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confidence: 99%

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The Sociology and Psychology of Terrorism: Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why?

Hudson¹

1999

PsycEXTRA Dataset

168

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Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. REPORT DATE SEP 19992 PREFACEThe purpose of this study is to focus attention on the types of individuals and groups that are prone to terrorism (see Glossary) in an effort to help improve U.S. counterterrorist methods and policies.The emergence of amorphous and largely unknown terrorist individuals and groups operating independently (freelancers) and the new recruitment patterns of some groups, such as recruiting suicide commandos, female and child terrorists, and scientists capable of developing weapons of mass destruction, provide a measure of urgency to increasing our understanding of the psychological and sociological dynamics of terrorist groups and individuals. The approach used in this study is twofold. First, the study examines the relevant literature and assesses the current knowledge of the subject. Second, the study seeks to develop psychological and sociological profiles of foreign terrorist individuals and selected groups to use as case studies in assessing trends, motivations, likely behavior, and actions that might deter such behavior, as well as reveal vulnerabilities that would aid in combating terrorist groups and individuals.Because this survey is concerned not only with assessing the extensive literature on sociopsychological aspects of terrorism but also providing case studies of about a dozen terrorist groups, it is limited by time constraints and data availability in the amount of attention that it can give to the individual groups, let alone individual leaders or other members. Thus, analysis of the groups and leaders will necessarily be incomplete. A longer study, for example, would allow for the collection and study of the literature produced by each group in the form of autobiographies of former members, group communiqués and manifestos, news media interviews, and other resources. Much information about the terrorist mindset (see Glossary) and decision-making process can be gleaned from such sources. Moreover, there is a language barrier to an examination of the untranslated literature of most of the groups included as case studies herein.Terrorism databases that profile groups and leaders quickly become outdated, and this report is no exception to that rule. In order to remain...

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Section: Frustration-aggression Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Terrorist Rationalization Of Violencementioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Sociology and Psychology of Terrorism: Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why?

Hudson¹

1999

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168

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“…Franco Ferracuti [18] wrote about the need to integrate the natural attitude into terrorism research. He argued for an interdisciplinary approach to grasp the multi-layered complexity of terrorist groups.…”

Section: Part 2 the Phenomenological Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a phenomenology of terrorism: implications for research and policy

Morris

Crank

2011

Crime Law Soc Change

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The central theme of this paper is that the phenomenology of perception can contribute to conceptualizing terrorism, in terms of both a research orientation and policy applications. This means that counter-terrorism needs to be grounded in a holistic perspective that has meaning from the point of view of those engaged in terrorism. A critique of the "war on terror" counter-terrorism practices is followed by a discussion of phenomenology and its implications for a holistic perception of counter-terrorism. Four cases are presented that show how a phenomenological approach can facilitate counter-terrorism study and policy. Phenomenology and the problem of perceptionThe purpose of this paper is to consider counter-terrorism in terms of the "otherness" of terrorists or insurgents in a phenomenological sense. The central argument presented herein is that phenomenology can take terrorist "perceptions" and incorporate them into assessments useful for research purposes and practical policy development. It cedes to terrorists and their recruitment populations a morality and legitimacy of historical grievance. It recognizes that they carry values and meanings integral not only to themselves but also important to populations from which terrorists may be recruited-those likely to provide what Kilcullen [35] referred to as "accidental guerillas." Below, we discuss the central elements of phenomenology, specifically Merleau Ponty's phenomenology of perception, and identify applications to terrorism. Then, using the phenomenology of perception as a model Crime Law Soc Change (2011) 56:219-242

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“…En este sentido, los estudios clínicos, a través de historias personales, psico-biografías y entrevistas, no han identificaViolencia y terrorismo: un análisis desde la perspectiva ecológica i 41 do ninguna característica psicopatológica común a los terroristas (Ferracuti, 1982;Ministerio del Interior de Alemania Occidental, 1981-82-83-84).…”

Section: Contexto Individualunclassified

Violencia y terrorismo: un análisis desde la perspectiva ecológica

Ochoa¹

1997

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SUMMARYn this article, the issues of violence and terrorism are analyzed from an ecological perspective. Thus, terrorism is viewed as something more than the manifestation of some sort of psychopathology or the consequence of frustration or social unfairness. Terrorism is considered to result from the confluence of múltiple factors, such as individual factors, family and school factors, factors related to the peer group, as well as sociohistorical factors and, finally, the mass media. In the last part, I underline the advantages of this ecological approach and the relevance of analyzing all the contexts if a long-term solution to this social problem wants to be found. SUMARIOEn este artículo se analizan la violencia y el terrorismo desde una perspectiva ecológica. Se considera que el terrorismo es algo más que la manifestación de algún tipo de psicopatología o la consecuencia de la frustración o de los desequilibrios sociales. Se considera que el terrorismo es el resultado de la confluencia de múltiples factores, tales como factores individuales, familiares y escolares, factores relacionados con el grupo de iguales, así como también factores sociohistóricos y finalmente los medios de comunicación. Finalmente, se subrayan las ventajas del acercamiento ecológico y la importancia de analizar todos los contextos en el análisis de este problema social. I. INTRODUCCIÓNLa violencia, en sentido amplio, y el terrorismo son dos términos íntimamente relacionados aunque con una cierta asimetría en sus reía-

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A Sociopsychiatric Interpretation of Terrorism

Cited by 47 publications

References 3 publications

The Sociology and Psychology of Terrorism: Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why?

The Sociology and Psychology of Terrorism: Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why?

Toward a phenomenology of terrorism: implications for research and policy

Violencia y terrorismo: un análisis desde la perspectiva ecológica

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