1,721,165 research outputs found
Dilemmas of the Terrorist Underworld: The Management of Internal Secrecy in Terrorist Organisations
No full textThe secret and its social organisation are of course vital for terrorists. In particular, members of terrorist organisations usually have to deal with complex processes to conceal information from outside actors (external security) but also from other members (internal security). However, scholars have paid relatively little attention to this dark side from an analytical and theoretical standpoint. The practice of secrecy in terrorism deserves particular attention at the ‘meso’ level of analysis, related to organisations; unlike most ordinary organisations, terrorist organisations have to manage particularly demanding trade-offs due to their clandestine nature. This analytical contribution aims to explore how internal secrecy within terrorist organisations affects two crucial organisational dimensions – internal communication, and coordination and control. In doing so, it also critically assesses two well-developed asymmetric information approaches, signalling theory and agency theory, showing that these analytical frameworks could shed new light on the study of secrecy management in terrorist organisations, provided that they are disconnected from a reductionist assumption of individual behaviour as invariably utilitarian and atomistic. In addition, drawing upon Simmel’s classic interpretation of ‘secret societies’, the article argues that a fruitful interpretation of internal secrecy in terrorist organisations should include the critical role played by social trust
A Farewell to Firearms? The Logic of Weapon Selection in Transnational Terrorism: The Case of Jihadist Attacks in Europe
No full textIn the vast literature on terrorism the choice of weapons has
received relatively limited attention, despite the importance and
visibility of this topic. Building on the literature on innovation in
terrorism, the article first proposes a multi-level analytical
framework that helps study terrorist weapon selection. It then
investigates the use of weapons in jihadist attacks in Europe from 2014, with the rise of the so-called Islamic State, until 2020, based on an original database. The empirical analysis shows that the two traditional types of weapon of modern terrorism, firearms and explosives, were largely replaced by more primitive tools like melee weapons. In fact, in recent years jihadist terrorists in Europe have become less technologically advanced. Based on the original analytical framework, the article examines the reasons of this evolution, paying special attention to the use of the most common type of weapon in the database, bladed weapons, and the most lethal type, firearms
Notes from the Underground: Profiles and Mobilization Dynamics of Pro-Russia Western Fighters in the Donbas—Insights from Italy
No full textThe Ukrainian crisis has caused important repercussions at the international level, including the influx of thousands of voluntary fighters from abroad. According to recent estimates, from 2014 until the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, approximately 1,000 Westerners travelled to the disputed region of the Donbas (Eastern Ukraine), on both sides of the conflict (Ukrainian forces and Russia-supported "separatist" militias). This article intends to offer an original contribution to the empirical study of the mobilization of Western fighters in the Donbas, by taking into account, for the first time, the national case of Italy (one of the countries most affected by the phenomenon in the West). In particular, based on detailed primary and secondary sources, the paper examines in depth a relatively large Italian network of pro-separatist fighters and direct supporters, including far-right militants, and analyzes their profiles and mobilization dynamics, drawing upon the literature on social movements and contentious politics
Ties that Bind: Dynamics of Group Radicalisation in Italy’s Jihadists Headed for Syria and Iraq
No full textIn recent years, thousands of radical citizens and residents from Europe have joined the so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS) in Syria and Iraq. Unlike other European countries, Italy has traditionally been characterised by the prevalence of individual pathways of radicalisation over group mechanisms. Nevertheless, recent cases show interesting indications of the increasing role of small groups based on pre-existing personal relationships (family and friendship ties). This kind of bond can be particularly salient for IS, a jihadist “proto-state”, which needs not only ‘foreign fighters’ but also new ‘citizens’ of different sexes and ages, including entire families
Digital Jihad: Online Communication and Violent Extremism
No full textIn our age the internet offers tremendous opportunities for violent extremists across the ideological spectrum and at a global level. In addition to propaganda, digital technologies have transformed the dynamics of radical mobilisation, recruitment and participation. At least in the West, few cases of jihadist radicalisation completely lack a web component, including occasional viewing of extremist propaganda.
Against this background, this volume aims to investigate the current landscape of jihadist online communication, including original empirical analysis. In doing so, it does not interpret the internet as a shapeless monolith but tries to highlight the opportunities and limitations of different digital platforms. The book also explores the current Italian-language jihadist scenario, thus filling a gap in the analysis of this phenomenon. Specific attention is also placed on potential measures and initiatives to address the threat of online violent extremism
Cinema e cura: metafore della formazione
No full textLa narrazione e la metafora agiscono come stimoli primari per la formazione delle rappresentazioni mentali risultando così strumenti e metodi di indagine elettivi delle scienze umane. Non è possibile, infatti, parlare di educazione e di formazione trascurando le rappresentazioni attraverso cui i significati si esprimono. La formazione, come categoria chiave del discorso pedagogico, è un’attività aperta allo scambio che si realizza nel dialogo e nella relazione. Quest’ultima assume un ruolo primario nei processi di co-costruzione della conoscenza, fungendo da struttura portante attraverso cui gli individui danno significato e organizzazione alla complessità della realtà circostante. La relazione si configura anche come il substrato originario dal quale il cinema trae ispirazione. Il presente contributo intende far luce sulle possibili declinazioni relative all’utilizzo delle
immagini e del cinema nei setting di formazione del personale sanitario
Examining the Narratives of Radical Islamists and Other Extremely Violent Groups: The Case of the “Islamic State”
No full textTra scienza e paesaggio: formare al pensiero ecologico nella scuola dell’infanzia
Full text linkA partire dal XX secolo, l’intervento sulla natura da parte dell’uomo e il suo desiderio di dominarla e controllarla hanno condizionato le relazioni tra gli esseri viventi, mettendo da parte tutte quelle disposizioni ecologiche che hanno permesso la sopravvivenza delle specie per secoli. La nascita della scienza moderna ha segnato la fine della concezione della natura quale madre benevola e nutrice, lasciando spazio a un riduzionismo meccanicista che l’ha manipolata come materia inerte e frazionata, riducendone la capacità di rigenerarsi e di rinnovarsi. Una scienza improntata alla sottomissione che, in poco tempo, è stata causa del depauperamento di terre fertili e dell’estinzione di migliaia di organismi viventi. Da qui, l’importanza di un’educazione ambientale che parta dall’infanzia, coinvolgendo bambine e bambini affinché imparino, attraverso il rapporto con la natura, ad avere rispetto e cura verso il mondo che li ospita; ad entrarci in relazione in un’ottica di scambio e protezione così da divenire ricettivi rispetto a una visione sistemica orientata alla sostenibilità. Nello specifico il ruolo del paesaggio nella didattica outdoor è, nell’emergenza del tempo attuale, una risorsa fondamentale ancora tutta da esplorare in termini cognitivi, emozionali nonché occasione di riflessione sul nostro patrimonio culturale. Infatti, il contatto con le bellezze della natura, all’insegna della condivisione, basandosi sull’apprendere dall’esperienza facilita, soprattutto nei più piccoli, lo sviluppo di sensoriale e socio relazionale. In questa prospettiva diventa necessario riflettere sul ruolo che le istituzioni educative hanno nel formare a un pensiero ecologico: nuove conoscenza e competenze, valori e sensibilità, atti a progettare nuovi modi di costruire il futuro insieme alle altre specie viventi da cui dipende la sopravvivenza del genere umano
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