Annotated bibliography on radicalization

Annotated bibliography on radicalization
Opening Skinner’s Box is a book that has incorporated numerous experiments that aim at explaining how and why things happen especially when under a mental influence. One test that stands out in the entire book is the one that focuses on obedience. The compliance test was advanced by Stanley Milgram to explain how individuals are tuned to respond to establishments. Milgram suggests that subordinates will behave in certain ways when subjected to systems because there is a notion that whatever they do is for the goodwill of the authority. According to Milgram, a subject should obey the authority since the subject comes to believe that their duty is to follow directives that meet the wishes of the authority solely. Milgram’s experiment further shows that a subject will act without fearing to be held responsible for their deeds since they believe that the authority will be in charge of their actions. The above experiment goes ahead to explain that it becomes quite difficult for a subject to take control of their activities. Therefore, is there any link between Milgram’s tests of conformity to authorities with how individuals are radicalized? My view is that radicalized individuals carry out tasks without having regrets since they have been tuned to be obedient to their authorities and they have a belief that there are no consequences for whatever deed they carry out for the systems. It is through radicalization that individuals carry out terror attacks with the idea that they will be rewarded even if they end up dead.

It is surprising that people that carry out terror attacks cause mass deaths without having any regrets and yet expect that their actions will be gifted.
“Radicalization – Wikipedia.” N.p., Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radicalization>.
Wikipedia refers radicalization as a progression where an individual comes to embrace extreme ideas that surround religious, political or social ideas. Radicalized individuals tend to be conditioned by events even though at other times they are subjected to a particular central authority that is responsible for disseminating the extreme ideas. Radicalized fellows find satisfaction in the ideas instilled in them by the administration and therefore will always tend to have no regrets (“Radicalization – Wikipedia” n.p.). Such individuals tend to be in traps and think that the only way to find their freedom is in obedience hence explaining why they are likely to carry out extreme actions. Radicalization explains why extremist groups exist since the process can have bad or nonaggressive results. Wikipedia further indicates that stereotypes such as poverty and mental problems held against radicalized individuals are all wrong. There is no connection between lack of wealth and or psychological disorders with extremist activities that result from radicalization.
I intend to use this source to define what radicalization is so that my target audience will understand how central authorities that tend to be extremist groups condition subjects with their ideas. Misconceptions have always been linked to radicalization, and this source shows that the stereotypes associated with radicalization are not true. Following Milgram’s tests, I can affirm that radicalized individuals will carry out extreme activities so as to fulfill the wishes of the authority.
Francis, M. “What causes Radicalisation? Main lines of consensus in recent research. | Radicalisation Research.” N.p., 24 Jan. 2012. Web. <http://www.radicalisationresearch.org/guides/francis-2012-causes-2/>
Various theories aim to explain the concept of radicalization, but Matthew’s article focuses on what causes radicalization. Mathew further shows that there is a significant difference between violent radicals and radicals. Modernity is one factor that contributes to radicalization. Modernity embraces developments such as the internet that allow ideologies surrounding the phenomenon to spread globally. The second factor that can contribute to radicalization is prejudice in the form of discrimination. Government policy on matters regarding civil strife further contributes to radicalization (Francis n.p.). It is evident that radical ideologies are quickly spread in highly populated areas such as urban centers since it easy to convey the extreme ideas. Ideological factors further determine whether a person becomes radicalized since different groups hold different perceptions. Lastly, individual factors can foster radicalization. Therefore, numerous factors can contribute to radicalization and to what extent a person will become radicalized.
Matthew’s article is of importance in my essay since it will show my readers the different causes of radicalization. It will also enable readers to discern the factors that are not likely to result in radicalization. Since my argument focuses on obedience to a central authority, I will embrace elements that show central authorities as the sources of ideologies. The causes of radicalization will, therefore, indicate that violent radicals are not triggered by psychological problems but rather by the influence of a central system. Matthew’s essay will, therefore, enable me to explain to my readers how violent radicals carry out extreme activities to meet the wishes of the systems since ideologies originate from the authorities. Lastly, this article will enable me to show the two types of radicals.
“Women Should Be Fully and Broadly Involved in Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism and Terrorist Radicalization | OSCE.” Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | OSCE. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
Violent extremism and radicalization play a significant role in contributing to terrorism hence the need to use women in countering such harmful activities. Women act as pillars in their families and should, therefore, be used as agents of positive change in their societies. If policies are developed favoring women, then it becomes easier for them to protect their families from radicalization. Discrimination against women is evident in certain communities especially when it comes to matters pertaining education and leadership roles hence creating the need to empower them so that they can act as change agents in their communities (“Women Should Be Fully and Broadly Involved in Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism and Terrorist Radicalization | OSCE” n.p.). In most places where extremism is present women do not play crucial roles when it comes to leading the society or religions hence the need to change this negative notion. The above article argues out that if women are endowed with leadership roles, then it is easier to counteract the ideologies linked to extremism that hatches into terrorism. Therefore, this article proposes the need to raise the number of women fighting against forms of extremism.
The above article is crucial for my research since it shows the role women can play in reducing the number of radicals. Most extremist groups are associated with the Muslim religion that has a tendency of discriminating against women when it comes to education or leadership. I will employ information from this essay to emphasize the need to empower women by using affirmative action so that they can play a role in countering extremism. The probable reason as to why extremism contributes to terrorism is leaving men to be solely in authority hence giving them an opportunity to use subjects to meet their wishes. Therefore, the above article will aid me in pointing out the role women will play in countering extremism in their communities hence reducing the possibility of escalated terrorism.
“About the Conference.” UNESCO. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
The internet serves various purposes, both positive and adverse. The internet is crucial for young people, but when used wrongly it could act as a source of negative information. UNESCO shows that extremist groups can use the web to propagate ideologies to young people hence escalating the rate of radicalization, especially in young individuals (“About the Conference” n.p.). An extremist can use the internet as a vessel to disseminate negative information and hatred to potential recruits hence making it an efficient tool for radicalization. The world has over one billion youth that needs to be sheltered from extremism especially that fueled by the web. The UN says that the youth need to be empowered as a way of preventing them from joining extremist groups through online recruitment. Therefore, education for both genders should be emphasized so as to make the youth aware of the dangers associated with extremism. UNESCO in a bid to prevent online extremism proposes that the internet should be used for positive involvement and should play a role in promoting peaceful coexistence among people all over the globe.
The above article is crucial for my research since it will help me point out to my readers the avenues that are used by extremist groups to convey their negative ideologies. Having the above information will enable me to create awareness to most people especially the youth on the dangers of using the internet negatively. The UN emphasizes the need to empower the youth so as to prevent them from becoming easy targets to be conditioned by extremists. The above article will further help me support Milgram’s argument about obedience since it is evident that radicalization starts from a central authority that uses the subjects to accomplish its wishes.
“The Connection Between Radicalism, Extremism, and Terrorism – MUSTAFA AYDIN.” Hurriyet Daily News | LEADING NEWS SOURCE FOR TURKEY AND THE REGION. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
Al-Qaeda carried out bombings in the United States in the year 2001 showing how dangerous extremist attacks can be to nations. The terrorist attack showed the negative impacts of radicalization especially when subjects are carrying out the desires of their central authority. Radicals do not necessarily have to be violent, but the attack on the World Trade Center showed the world the dangers of violent radicals. It is quite clear that radicals pose threats to the security of countries especially when triggered by extremist ideologies (“Connection Between Radicalism, Extremism and Terrorism – MUSTAFA AYDIN” n.p.). Violent radicals have been carrying out terror attacks globally since their major attack on the United States. Extremist groups, therefore, rely on such attacks carried out by fierce radicals to pass messages to the targets. Information from this article shows that extremist groups have spread globally by using the internet to pass their ideologies to subjects that are easily radicalized.
The above article is crucial for my research since it points out extremist groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda that use violent radicals to carry out their attacks. The article is crucial since it will enable me to discern the dangers of extremist groups globally. The article will also help me point out areas in the world that have been attacked by radicalized individuals and the years the attacks occurred. The article will further enable me to establish areas around the globe such as Europe that are vulnerable to terror attacks. The article will also aid me in understanding the impacts of Milgram’s test of obedience is likely to have on a global scale.
“The Impact of Global Youth Bulges on Islamist Radicalization and Violence.” Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
The trends in violent radicalization pose threats to the law enforcement agencies of the United States. The number of young people getting recruited into extremist groups has been on the increase, therefore, posing security threats to the US. The increased number of violent radicals has an impact of increasing the cases of violence related to youths in the country. Data from law enforcement agencies shows that crime increases with a rise in the number of violent radicals. Violent radicalization further contributes to tension between communities due to the security issues that result from radicalized individuals (“Impact of Global Youth Bulges on Islamist Radicalization and Violence” n.p.). The third impact of violent radicalization is that crimes committed by such individuals tend to be normalized hence creating opportunities for more people to be radicalized. Therefore, the impacts of violent radicalization cannot be underestimated especially when linked to terrorism.
The above article will aid in my research since it will enable me to inform my audience about the impacts of radicalization especially when linked with violence. The above information will be of importance to youths so that they become aware of the dangers associated with violent radicalization. It is my belief that this article will aid in showing the impacts of being obedient to an extremist central authority especially when carrying out activities to meet its wishes. In finality, this article will act to depict the expected outcomes of violent radicalization globally.
Works Cited
“About the Conference.” UNESCO. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
“The Connection Between Radicalism, Extremism and Terrorism – MUSTAFA AYDIN.” Hurriyet Daily News | LEADING NEWS SOURCE FOR TURKEY AND THE REGION. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
Francis, M. “What causes Radicalisation? Main lines of consensus in recent research. | Radicalisation Research.” N.p., 24 Jan. 2012. Web. <http://www.radicalisationresearch.org/guides/francis-2012-causes-2/>.
“The Impact of Global Youth Bulges on Islamist Radicalization and Violence.” Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
“Radicalization – Wikipedia.” N.p., Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radicalization>.
“Women Should Be Fully and Broadly Involved in Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism and Terrorist Radicalization | OSCE.” Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | OSCE. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.