Causes of Terrorism A Socioeconomic Analysis A Work

Causes of Terrorism: A Socioeconomic Analysis— A Work in Progress Henry B. Pascoe, Department of Political Science, College of Arts and Sciences, Honors College Faculty Mentor: John Books, Department of Political Science, College of Arts and Sciences What Causes Terrorism? Abstract Literature Reviewed My research topic is terrorism. I want to analyze how socioeconomic conditions of the Middle East cause individuals to be recruited into terrorist organizations and participate in terrorist activities. In my study I will focus on the socioeconomic factors rather than psychological or cultural factors. This is not a statement of disregard for these factors that play an important role in explaining the causes of terrorism, but because I wish to analyze the socioeconomic factors with a degree of specificity that would be encumbered by an analysis of the full spectrum of factors that drive individual participation in terrorist action. To accomplish this goal, I will compare the socioeconomic characteristics and the amount of terrorist activity in a number of countries to determine if there is a significant correlation between these two sets of variables. The results should suggest which socioeconomic conditions are particularly conducive to terrorist activity. As part of my research I performed a literature review of the following sources: Terrorism is a complex issue with a number of potential causes including: Socioeconomic factors; Text Cultural factors. Environmental degradation, overpopulation, refugees, narcotics, terrorism, world crime movements, and organized crime are worldwide problems that don't stop at a nation's borders. --Warren Christopher When a person is humiliated, when his rights are being violated, and he does not have the proper education, naturally he gravitates toward terrorism. --Shirin Ebadi In my research I will focus on socioeconomic factors and how they relate to terrorism. Trade creates jobs and lifts people out of poverty. And when that happens, societies stabilize and grow. And there is nothing like a stable society to fight terrorism and strengthen democracy, freedom and rule of law. --Dennis Hastert Acknowledgments POSTER TEMPLATE BY: www. Poster. Presentations. com Elrich, Paul R. , and Jianguo Liu. "Some Roots of Terrorism. " Population and Environment 24 (2002): 183. 19 Feb. 2008 Moghadam, Assaf. "The Roots of Suicide Terrorism: A Multi-Causal Approach. " Root Causes of Suicide Terrorism: The Globalization of Martyrdom. Ed. Ami Pedahzur. New York: Routledge, 2006. 81 - 107. Insights on Terrorism Psychological factors; and I would like to thank the following individuals for making this research experience possible: Dr. Wendy Wilkins, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Warren Burggren, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Gloria Cox, Dean, Honors College and especially my mentor, Dr. John Books, Department of Political Science. Crenshaw, Martha. "The Causes of Terrorism. " Comparative Politics (1981): 379 -399. JSTOR. 19 Feb. 2008. Photograph Sources http: //www. lloyds. com www. brainyquotes. com www. abc. net Levels of Analysis When considering what causes terrorism there are three distinct levels of analysis: § Individual - The individual actor, recruiter, or planner in a terrorist action § Organizational - The terrorist organization as a whole § Environmental - The environment in which terrorism is conceptualized, as well as where the terrorist activity takes place In my research I will consider how environmental factors lead to individual participation in terrorist activity.