SOCIETYS OUTLOOK ON TERRORISM

How Society looks at Terrorism John Simpson Professor Deanna Lindsey Introduction to Sociology October 28th, 2011

SOCIETYS OUTLOOK ON TERRORISM

1. Explain the major factors or historical foundation that contributed to making the selected social issue important for sociological consideration. Social learning theory of aggression suggests that violence follows observation and imitation of an aggressive model, and a variant of this theory has been invoked to explain terrorist behaviors not as the consequence of innate aggressively but of cognitive moral imperatives. Teenagers living in places of political strife may directly witness terrorist behaviors and seek to imitate them or even learn from their cultures public glorification of terrorists. Social learning of the acceptability of terrorist violence may also take a didactic form, as in the teaching of an extremist form of jihad in many Pakistani and Palestinian religious schools for young Muslim boys. These schools have existed since the time of Muhammad, but the recent worldwide resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism has led to an increase in their numbers and possibly in the violence of their message. However, the social learning/cognitive restructuring model fails to explain why only a small minority among the hundreds of thousands of students educated for jihad in these schools, the millions exposed to extremist publications, and the tens of millions that are exposed to public glorification of terrorists have become terrorists. Therefore, while social learning probably helps animate the small minority who turns to political violence, this theory fails to explain why these particular individuals become terrorists. Other factors must be sought. Some of these are frustration-aggression, oppression, national culture and relative deprivation. These are some of the major factors that have contributed to making terrorism important for sociological consideration.

SOCIETYS OUTLOOK ON TERRORISM

2. Describe how society defines the social issue. There are many definitions in different societies on terrorism. The United States Department of Defense defines terrorism as the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological. The FBI uses this: "Terrorism is the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives." The U.S. Department of State defines "terrorism" to be "premeditated politically-motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience. Outside the United States Government, there are greater variations in what features of terrorism are emphasized in definitions. One country that has recently defined terrorism is China. The legislature is authorizing new guidelines to define and combat terrorism, taking a step toward bringing its practices in line with international norms as Beijing battles a sporadically violent rebellion in the far west. The legislative resolution approved clearly lays out for the first time China's legal definition of terrorism and the steps for formally declaring groups and individuals terrorists and freezing their assets. A legal affairs expert for the legislature, Li Shouwei, says the resolution is intended to help law enforcement authorities treat terrorists differently from other criminals and to promote international cooperation on terrorism. China has failed to eradicate a decades-long separatist campaign by Muslim Uighurs in

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its Xinjiang region and accuses terrorist groups of perpetrating violence against civilians. (USA Today, 2011). 3. Describe the social category (ies) that may be affected by the social issue. Terrorism has occurred throughout history, but today the world is experiencing a global rebirth of attacks. Today it no longer affects only small societies, such as isolated third world countries who fall victim to regular terrorist attacks, but the whole world is becoming more familiar with Arab and Muslim names. The terrorist violence that is on the rise today has informed citizen all over the world about different types of terrorism. Also with the resurgence the world is experiencing of terrorism, the Nation's have been to do what they can to eliminate terrorism. Terrorism can be defined as "the deliberate creation of fear to bring out political change." (Dictionary, 2011) All terrorist acts involve violence or the threat of violence. These violent acts are usually committed by nongovernmental groups or individuals who are either part of or officially serving in the military, law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies, or other governmental agencies of an established nation. Terrorists attempt not only to create panic but also to weaken confidence in the government and the political leadership of the target country. Terrorism therefore is designed to have psychological effects that reach farther beyond the impact on the immediate victims of an attack. Terrorists mean to frighten and therefore scare a wider crowd, such as a rival ethnic or religious group, an entire country and its political control, or the entire international community. Terrorist groups are generally small and have few members, limited firepower, and other resources. For this reason they rely on

SOCIETYS OUTLOOK ON TERRORISM

intense bloody and destructive acts of hit-and-run violence to attract attention to their group and their cause. Through the media they are able to create a larger voice for themselves and create hostilities among people.

4. Discuss how society has changed over time in regard to your social issue. Society has changed tremendously from terrorism especially since the attacks on the world trade center. Security in the United States has gotten tighter at airports, military bases and bus terminals. Not only has the United States security changed but so has security throughout the world. I remember when it would only take about an hour to get through airport security and now it takes anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours. Also it has changed the way new skyscrapers are being built and new codes being incorporated into current skyscrapers. Many fundamental changes to skyscraper design were the direct result of regulations enacted in the wake of the destruction of 1 and 2 World Trade Center. These largely involve the use of redundant building systems to prevent the progressive collapse of a structure, where a series of local failures spread until the entire structure is at risk. Research conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology on the collapse of the Twin Towers (Shyam-Sunder, 2005) outlined in extensive technical detail how the structures failed and offered 30 recommendations to improve the design of high-rises. Among them: increased structural integrity through alternate load-bearing paths, fire resistance by design, better building evacuation routes and redundant systems for sprinklers, hoses, fire alarms and smoke management.

SOCIETYS OUTLOOK ON TERRORISM

5. Recommend two (2) ways of attempting to improve the social situation you described above. One way is to refrain from organizing, instigating, facilitating, participating in , financing, encouraging or tolerating terrorist activities and to take appropriate practical measures to ensure that our respective territories are not used for terrorist installations or training camps, or for the preparation or organization of terrorist acts intended to be committed against other States or their citizens. Another would be to cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism, in accordance with our obligations under international law, in order to find, deny safe haven and bring to justice, on the basis of the principle of extradite or prosecute, any person who supports, facilitates, participates or attempts to participate in the financing, planning, preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts or provides safe havens. 6. Evaluate the various methodologies for sociological research that can be applied to your two (2) recommendations above. One methodology that can be applied is case study. By researching cases that have happened in the past, you could possibly try and figure out what might happen in the future. Another one is observational where terrorist groups can be observed in their everyday operations. By observing them in different aspects we could probably work on something to prevent these attacks in the future.

SOCIETYS OUTLOOK ON TERRORISM

References Dictionary. (2011). Retrieved 2011, from Dictionary.com: www.dictionary.reference.com Shyam-Sunder, S. (2005, December 1). National Institute of Standards and Technology. Retrieved from NSIT manuscript: www.nist.gov/manuscript-publicationsearch.cfm?pub_id=909017 USA Today. (2011, October 29). Retrieved from USA Today website: www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-10-29/china-terrorism-guidelines/50990000/1