Sociological Perspective on Terrorism

Author: Fan Mingqiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: This book attempts to study terrorism from a sociological perspective, employing sociological theories and methods. The choice of a sociological viewpoint is primarily based on the following reasons: First, sociology is often referred to as a "macro-discipline," with a research scope that encompasses a wide range of areas, making it natural to include terrorism as a significant social phenomenon within its domain. Second, terrorism, in its nature, is a typical social problem, and sociology has a relatively mature set of theories and methods for understanding, analyzing, and addressing social issues. Third, specific concepts, theories, and methods in sociology are highly applicable to the study of terrorism. For example, group theory is useful for analyzing terrorist groups, social behavior theory for examining the paradigms of terrorist activities, and theories such as social conflict theory, deviance theory, and labeling theory for exploring the social roots of terrorism. Theories related to social issues also offer direct insights into the governance of terrorism.