Methodological Issues in Studying Suicide Terrorism

Mintz, Alex; Brulé, David J.

doi:10.1111/j.1467-9221.2009.00700.x

Cited by 15 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 10 publications

(39 reference statements)

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“…Each of these disciplinary orientations and levels of analysis may be useful for understanding the individual extremist's motivations. Yet, as Mintz and Brule cautioned (2009), empirical tests of such theories remains so difficult, due to problems of definition, measurement, sampling, and alternative interpretations of the limited data, that one is hard pressed to demonstrate validity. Moreover, as Crenshaw admonished (2009), extremism typically arises in a complex social context.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological Factors Associated with Support for Suicide Bombing in the Muslim Diaspora

Victoroff

Adelman²,

Matthews

2012

Political Psychology

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A robust literature on ingroup versus outgroup conflict suggests that perceived discrimination may be an important factor in intergroup aggression. Yet, to date, no studies have tested the hypothesis that the perception of being the victim of anti‐Muslim discrimination might be associated with support for anti‐Western political violence. We undertook an analysis of two Pew Global Attitudes Surveys: (1) a 2006 data set surveying 1,627 adult Muslim residents of Great Britain, France, Germany, and Spain and (2) a 2007 data surveying 1,050 adult Muslim residents of the United States. Our analyses support the conclusions that younger age and perceived discrimination are both associated with support of suicide bombing in these Muslim diaspora populations. Study 1 found that a bad experience of discrimination increased the odds of justifying suicide bombing among European Muslims by a factor of 3.4. Study 2 found that experienced discrimination was associated with justification of suicide bombing among American Muslims. If further investigations confirm that perceived discrimination is a risk factor for support for political violence, initiatives to reduce discrimination would theoretically reduce the risk of terrorism. We discuss the challenge of breaking the vicious cycle of intergroup prejudice and radicalization.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological Factors Associated with Support for Suicide Bombing in the Muslim Diaspora

Victoroff

Adelman²,

Matthews

2012

Political Psychology

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“…Nor can we agree with Mintz and Brule's (2009) general implication that our framework is unfalsifiable. For instance, consider our “collectivistic switch” hypothesis that a sense of lost significance, arising from a failure to live up to cultural standards, should increase one's tendency to embrace cultural values or support the ideology of one's group.…”

Section: Theoretical Aspects Of the Significance Quest Framework: On mentioning

confidence: 65%

“…[as] very useful and clarifying” (p. 381). And Mintz and Brule (2009) view our “theoretical argument . .…”

Section: Philosophy Of Science and Of Methods Issues In Terrorism Resementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Terrorism researchers occasionally identify separate elements of terrorism and anoint one such element as critical, while relegating others to the status of peripheral, or worse yet, epiphenomenal correlates of the phenomenon. In such a spirit of disjunction between ideological reasons and personal motivations for suicidal terrorism, for example, Mintz and Brule (2009) criticize our framework for “pitting one part of the framework against the others” (p. 366). For instance, if individuals who emphasize ideological or social values are more likely to support suicide attacks than those who emphasize personal values, the framework is right.…”

Section: Motivations Versus Ideology or Motivations For Ideologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Yes, No, and Maybe in the World of Terrorism Research: Reflections on the Commentaries

Kruglanski

Chen

Dechesne

et al. 2009

Political Psychology

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“…No evidence permits a stand on this issue. Quantitatively, studies of the mental health of suicide bombers suffer from the selection bias of failed bombers, small sample sizes, and the lack of measurement validity (Mintz and Brule, 2009). Even studies with extensive interviews of militants who support suicide bombing (Sageman, 2004;Stern, 2004) do not conduct the fieldwork necessary to determine broader community views.…”

Section: On the Question Of Suicide Bombing As Pathologymentioning

confidence: 99%

How are Suicide Bombers Analysed in Mental Health Discourse? A Critical Anthropological Reading

Aggarwal¹

2010

Asian J Soc Sci

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This paper complicates the notion of the suicide bomber as represented in mental health literature. Most authors apply Western psychiatric concepts to understand suicide bombers without accounting for value differences around life and death or terrorism and martyrdom. Accordingly, these researchers replicate arguments to explain individual behaviour from a particular epistemological perspective. In contrast, critical approaches to this literature can expose the worldviews of the analysers and the analysed to devise sounder interpretations. This paper scrutinises mental health discourse on suicide bombing to ask: (1) What do we learn about the authors of suicide bombers in these articles? (2) How do their analyses demonstrate the relationship between knowledge and power? These conclusions can enable researchers to reduce biases and devise behavioural models that more accurately reflect the realities of their subjects.

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Methodological Issues in Studying Suicide Terrorism

Cited by 15 publications

References 10 publications

Psychological Factors Associated with Support for Suicide Bombing in the Muslim Diaspora

Psychological Factors Associated with Support for Suicide Bombing in the Muslim Diaspora

Yes, No, and Maybe in the World of Terrorism Research: Reflections on the Commentaries

How are Suicide Bombers Analysed in Mental Health Discourse? A Critical Anthropological Reading

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