applying social movement theory in terrorism research: cycles of contention and revolutionary...

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Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism and Extremism in Greece and Europe Greek Politics Specialist Group London 20 th June Sotirios Karampampas University of Sheffield

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Page 1: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research:

Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece

Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism and Extremism in Greece and Europe

Greek Politics Specialist GroupLondon

20th June

Sotirios KarampampasUniversity of Sheffield

Page 2: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Outline

• Social Movement Theory (SMT)• Terrorism Research • Critique of Terrorism Research• SMT Contribution• Cycles of Contention• Revolutionary Violence in Greece• Application of Cycles of Contention in the

Greek Case

Page 3: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Social Movement Theory

• Social movements: Collection of informal networks Shared beliefs and solidarity Mobilization over conflictual issues Frequent use of various forms of protest

• Different SMT models

• Synthesis of SMT models – Models overlap

Page 4: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Terrorism Research

• Terrorism and SMT overlap

• Continuum of political violence

• Clandestine violence

• Definition of terrorism

Page 5: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Critique of Terrorism Research

• Despite the fact that after the 9/11 terrorism emerged in the centre of the research agenda:

A-historicity of terrorism research

Treating terrorism as been in a social vacuum

Lack of multi-level analysis

Preference for secondary over primary data

Page 6: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Episodic and event-driven

Policy oriented – Terrorism experts’ effect

State-centric viewpoint

Subjugation of knowledge

Considered as an “a-theoretical undertaking”

Page 7: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

SMT Contribution

• SMT as an appropriate tool to overcome some of the limitations of terrorism studies

• In fact, adopting an SMT perspective can serve to:

Broaden and deepen its intellectual body Challenge many of the underlying assumptions of

traditional terrorism research Accelerate a critical turn of terrorism studies

Page 8: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Specifically, SMT:

Relocates terrorism within its social context and temporal context

De-exceptionalizes terrorism

Underlines its temporal fluidity

Counters the a-historicity and lack of context of terrorism research

Page 9: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Integrates macro, meso, and micro level explanations

Brings the state into focus

Brings internal movement dynamics into focus

Page 10: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Cycles of Contention

• Cycles of contention

• Revolutionary violence is understood • in the context of a country’s cycle of mass protest • as a function of the competition between

components of the social movement sector, and• occurs as a sign of the protest’s decline

• Violence as a differentiated strategic adaptation within the social movement sector

Page 11: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Revolutionary terrorism in Greece

• Definition of revolutionary terrorism

• Important characteristics of Greek case it hosted one of the most dangerous terrorist

organizations in Europe – 17N. has given birth to two different generations of

revolutionary groups escalation of terrorist acts in the recent years

Page 12: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

• Challenges the mainstream knowledge over revolutionary terrorism:

Defies the idea of the ephemeral character of the terrorist groups

Defies the wave theory of international terrorism Number of attacks in Greece claimed by left wing terrorist

groups has been continuously escalating Defies the idea of left wing terrorism as a minor

security issue Approximately the 82 per cent of the total attacks claimed

by left wing terrorist organizations in Western Europe in the 2000s is attributed to Greek groups

Page 13: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Application of Cycle of Contention in the Greek Case

• Greek revolutionary terrorism as a direct effect of cycles of contention

• First generation of Greek terrorism 17N, Revolutionary People’s Struggle (ELA) 1960s cycles of contention Underground resistance against the Junta Emerged after the Polytechnic uprising and

Metapolitefsi

Page 14: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

• Second generation of Greek terrorism

Revolutionary Struggle, Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire, Sect of Revolutionaries

December 2008 Modern cycle of contention (2008-2013) Attacks intensified – New groups emerged

Page 15: Applying Social Movement Theory in Terrorism Research: Cycles of Contention and Revolutionary Violence in Greece Workshop in Political Violence, Terrorism

Conclusion

• Terrorism discipline as a poorly conceptualized field

• SMT as a valuable tool to understand terrorist violence

• Cycles of contention important in the understanding of Greek revolutionary violence