Constructions of Terrorism

Discussions about the meaning of terrorism are enduring in everyday language, government policy, news reporting, and international politics.  And disagreements about both the definition and the class of violent events that constitute terrorism contribute to the difficulty of formulating effective responses aimed at the prevention and management of the threat of terrorism and the development of counterterrorism policies.  Constructions of Terrorism collects works from the leading scholars on terrorism from an array of disciplines—including communication, political science, sociology, global studies, and public policy—to establish appropriate research frameworks for understanding how we construct our understanding of terrorism. 

Michael Stohl is Professor of Communication, Political Science, and Global Studies and Director of the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
 
Richard Burchill is Director of Research and Engagement at TRENDS Research and Advisory, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
 
Scott Howard Englund is Non-Resident Fellow at TRENDS Research and Advisory and a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

INTRODUCTION: CONSTRUCTIONS OF TERRORISM
SCOTT ENGLUND, MICHAEL STOHL, AND RICHARD BURCHILL

1. CAN TERRORISM BE DEFINED?
LISA STAMPNITZKY

2. MISOVERESTIMATING TERRORISM
JOHN MUELLER AND MARK G. STEWART

3. TERRORISM AS TACTIC
DAVID H. SCHANZER

4. THE CONSTRUCTION OF STATE TERRORISM
RUTH BLAKELEY

5. KILLING BEFORE AN AUDIENCE: TERRORISM AS PERFORMANCE VIOLENCE
MARK JUERGENSMEYER

6. CONSTRUCTING TERRORISM: FROM FEAR AND COERCION TO ANGER AND JUJITSU POLITICS
CLARK MCCAULEY

7. FRAMING TERRORISM: THE COMMUNICATIVE CONSTITUTION OF THE TERRORIST ACTOR
BENJAMIN K. SMITH, SCOTT ENGLUND, ANDREA FIGUEROA- CABALLERO, ELENA SALCIDO, AND MICHAEL STOHL

8. SOME THOUGHTS ON CONSTRUCTIONS OF TERRORISM AND THE FRAMING OF THE TERRORIST THREAT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
ANTHONY RICHARDS

9. CONTRADICTIONS IN THE TERRORIST DISCOURSE AND CONSTRAINTS ON THE POLITICAL IMAGINATION OF VIOLENCE
RICHARD FALK

10. LEGAL CONSTRUCTIONS OF TERRORISM
RICHARD BURCHILL

11. DO DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF TERRORISM ALTER ITS CAUSAL STORY?
RACHEL LEVIN AND VICTOR ASAL

12. ANALYZING PATHWAYS OF LONE-ACTOR RADICALIZATION: A RELATIONAL APPROACH
STEFAN MALTHANER AND LASSE LINDEKILDE

13. CONSTRUCTING CULTURES OF MARTYRDOM ACROSS RELIGIONS, TIME, AND SPACE
MIA BLOOM

14. INTRODUCING THE GOVERNMENT ACTIONS IN TERROR ENVIRONMENTS (GATE) DATA SET
LAURA DUGAN AND ERICA CHENOWETH

15. THE WORLD VERSUS DAESH: CONSTRUCTING A CONTEMPORARY TERRORIST THREAT
SCOTT ENGLUND AND MICHAEL STOHL

CONCLUSION: UNDERSTANDING HOW TERRORISM IS CONSTRUCTED
SCOTT ENGLUND, MICHAEL STOHL, AND RICHARD BURCHILL CONTRIBUTORS

INDEX