This essay discusses the sociology and psychology of terrorist groups and related terrorist group dynamics. It is difficult to determine what drives and motivates people to commit acts of terrorism. Different people understand the issues of terrorism differently in matters concerning the psychology of terrorism. While a group of people may view someone as a terrorist, another group considers him/her a hero. Many researchers admit that theory and opinion matter more than science in understanding the psychology of terrorism. Nowadays, more researchers are looking into the aspects of political, and group dynamics and processes to have a better understanding of the approaches to terrorism. Psychological principles may help to explain some aspects of terrorist actions and our reactions to them.
sociology and psychology of terrorist groups
FROM PSYCHOLOGY OF TERRORISTS TO PSYCHOLOGY OF TERRORISM
Furthermore, the psychology of terrorism relates to the psychology of ordinary people connected to a societal object called terrorism. In this case, terrorism, as such, represents a psychologically coherent concept. Terrorist group leaders use the psychology of terrorism as a tool to reach political, social, and psychological goals. Therefore, different people have different motivations and approaches to terrorism. They get to a point in their lives where they choose terrorism as a way of expressing their ideologies. Various social-psychological variables underlie the terrorism phenomenon and the consequences of terrorist acts for people and political opinions. Therefore, this causes significant diversity in terms of terrorist group dynamics.
psychology of terrorists and the psychology of terrorism
THE SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY AND THE GROUP DYNAMICS THAT MAKE TERRORIST TEAMS WORK
The common approaches to terrorism are such that members of terrorist organizations tend to enjoy a significant level of autonomy. They work in groups to not lose sight of the goals and objectives of the organization. Such terrorist groups dynamics exhibit both loose vertical coupling- self-management, and loose horizontal coupling- little interdependence between team members. Loosely coupled systems allow individuals to retain their own identity and self-determination. Working in groups relates more to the traditional psychology of terrorism, where the typical form of leadership is random. Leaders are those who were the most effective in facilitating the logistics and communication demands of the group. Lastly, the group, as a whole, then decides the social system, goals, and objectives.
the group dynamics that make terrorist teams work
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