SOCIETYS OUTLOOK ON TERRORISM 1

How Society looks at Terrorism

John Simpson
Professor Deanna Lindsey
Introduction to Sociology
October 28
th
, 2011








SOCIETYS OUTLOOK ON TERRORISM 2


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.
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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
SOCIETYS OUTLOOK ON TERRORISM 4


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 5


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.
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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.

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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-publication-
search.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