Critical Terrorism Studies An Introduction to Research Methods (original) (raw)

The Core Commitments of Critical Terrorism Studies

European Political Science, 2007

Critical terrorism studies (CTS) is founded firstly on a series of powerful critiques of the current state of orthodox terrorism studies, including: its poor methods and theories, its state centricity, its problem-solving orientation and its institutional and intellectual links to state security projects. Defined broadly by a sceptical attitude towards accepted terrorism 'knowledge', CTS is also characterised by a set of core epistemological, ontological and ethical commitments, including: an appreciation of the politically constructed nature of terrorism knowledge; an awareness of the inherent ontological instability of the 'terrorism' category; a commitment to critical reflexivity regarding the uses to which research findings are put; a set of well-defined research ethics and a normative commitment to an emancipatory political praxis.

Critical Terrorism Studies: An Explanation, a Defence and a Way Forward

The aims of this paper are to introduce and explain the core commitments and dimensions of the critical terrorism studies (CTS) approach, to defend the retention of the term 'terrorism', and to briefly outline a future research agenda. To this end, the paper is divided into three sections. In the first section, I contextualise the rise of CTS and outline its central ontological, epistemological, methodological, and praxiological commitments, arguing that it is more than simply a call for better research on terrorism; rather, CTS offers a new way of understanding and researching terrorism. The second section focuses on the particular problem posed by the term 'terrorism' and argues that there are reasons for, and ways of, retaining the term without compromising the broader intellectual and/or emancipatory project. In addition, it explores some of the common misperceptions about the definition of terrorism and proposes a solution to these issues. In the final section, I outline some of the key challenges and dangers facing CTS. I suggest some key ways of avoiding these dangers and briefly outline a future research agenda.

Editors’ introduction: critical terrorism studies: practice, limits and experience

Critical Studies on Terrorism, 2014

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A case against 'Critical Terrorism Studies'

Critical Studies on Terrorism, 2008

This paper presents a case against the current formulation of ‘Critical Terrorism Studies’ (CTS). We will examine some of the core features of CTS, and in doing so identify what we suggest are mistaken assumptions about the nature and extent of contemporary research on terrorism. Our case against the current formulation of CTS is predicated on the view that aspects of its research programme are based on a superficial reading of the current literature that creates an image of the field of study unrecognizable to scholars working within it. As a result, the characterization of terrorism studies implicit in much of the current CTS work is not representative of the existing breadth of research activity in this field. The concluding assertions are that while the concerns that might have initially given rise to CTS are to be lauded (though these concerns are not exclusive to it), what has emerged as explicitly ‘critical’ terrorism studies in fact shares the concerns of many ‘tradi- tional’ terrorism scholars, and that in particular the claims to novelty or to a distinctively critical focus are exaggerated or misplaced.

Series: Critical Terrorism Studies

2014

This volume aims to ‘bring the state back into terrorism studies ’ and fill the notable gap that currently exists in our understanding of the ways in which states employ terrorism as a political strategy of internal governance or foreign policy. Within this broader context, the volume has a number of specific aims. First, it aims to make the argument that state terrorism is a valid and analytically useful concept which can do much to illuminate our understanding of state repression and governance, and illustrate the varieties of actors, modalities, aims, forms, and outcomes of this form of contemporary political violence. Second, by discussing a rich and diverse set of empirical case studies of contemporary state terrorism this volume explores and tests theoretical notions, generates new ques-tions and provides a resource for further research. Third, it contributes to a critical- normative approach to the study of terrorism more broadly and chal-lenges dominant approaches and perspe...

Babies and Bathwaters: Reflecting on the Pitfalls of Critical Terrorism Studies

European Political Science, 2007

This paper considers four challenges a critical terrorism studies will have to face. Starting from the premise that a critical turn must both challenge traditional approaches to 'terrorism' and provide an umbrella under which traditional and critical perspectives from 'terrorism studies' and cognate fields can converge, it reflects on the tensions this will introduce. It then considers what problems adoption/rejection of the term 'terrorism' will pose, before going on to reflect on the need for policy-relevance and the tensions between striving to influence policy and avoiding co-optation. The paper ends with a reflection on the challenge of being sensitive to cultural and contextual differences while remaining true to one's emancipatory agenda. 1 Gunning, Jeroen (2007a (forthcoming)) 'A Case for Critical Terrorism Studies?' Government and Opposition, 42; Jackson, Richard (2007) 'Terrorism Studies and the Politics of State Power', paper given at ISA Annual Conference, Chicago, 28 February. accessed. The 'scare marks' are intended to signal that 'terrorism' is a deeply contested term, the analytical value of which has been undermined by the political use of the term, and to remind readers that the need to problematise the term and its political usages is central to any 'critical turn'.