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Abstract

Common concepts of terrorism refer to acts which are intended to create a system of fear. The ideological argument for terrorism relates to a politically and emotionally charged scenario in which terrorism is necessary. The development of a terrorist organization requires an environment that is ripe with social degradation and has idealistic minded people who are able to believe in a cause. The organization utilizes a social system to maintain its own stability and to retain the people who are involved within its self-contained community. Suffering oppression from its own government or an-other nation is a crucial component in fostering the development of terrorist organizations. The system of development is entrenched within the culture of a people who feel separated from the traditions and cultures of societal expectation. The perceived oppression is vital for creating blame for the current status of the surviving people. Furthermore, oppression allows for the development of hate to occur, which in turn creates a psychological opportunity to develop a terrorist narrative.

This paper seeks to discuss how terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Al Qaeda are developed around an oppressed society which has found its voice through aggression and violence. Their cause is said to be for the benefit of a societies which is enveloped into the ideological word of God. Terrorist organizations have targeted different types of nations for their continued existence; yet, these organizations still use the primary focuses of psychological influence of world view and prejudice theories to maintain their existence.In understanding terrorism, the characteristics of involvement must also be evaluated from a lens of world view understanding in combination of prejudice and psychological theories.

Author Bio

Cade Resnick is currently an adjunct professor of psychology at Stetson University. Dr. Resnick holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Nova Southeastern University. He has presented work at several conferences with a focus on systems structure and psychological effect.

Amy Guimond is currently involved in community service work in the South Florida region. Dr. Guimond holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Nova Southeastern University. She has presented work on perception of gender, race, and culture.

Heather Wellman is currently involved in education in environments of poverty. Dr. Wellman holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Nova Southeastern University. She is involved in working toward advancing communities and cultures toward social change.

Shawna Resnick is currently completing her Ph.D. in International Peace and Conflict Resoultion through Nova Southeastern University. Her area of focus is on historical conflict trends and their modern applications.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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