Searching the unkown: discourses and effects of preventing radicalization in Scandinavia (RADISKAN)

Therese Sandrup Nerina WeissTherese.sandrup@ffi.no Nerina.Weiss@fafomail.no

The concept of radicalization

The concept of radicalization

- The aim is social change and the achievement of political goals

- Shift from groups and organizations towards individuals

- Direct process following a linear directions

- Phase-based theory.

- Radicalization as threat to democracy

- Use of violence as well as the mere acceptance of such actions and beliefs.

RadicalizationNorwegian Action

PlanSwedish Action

PlanDanish Actin Plan

a process whereby a person increasingly accepts the use of violence to achieve political, ideological or religious goals

the process that leads to a person or group supporting or enacting ideologically motivated violence to promote a cause

the process in which a person gradually accepts the ideas and methods of extremism and, possibly, joins its organised groups

Violent extremismNorwegian Action

PlanSwedish Action Plan Danish Action Plan

activities of persons and groups that are willing to use violence in order to achieve their political, ideological or religious goals

a collective term for movements, ideologies or milieus that do not accept a democratic social order and promote violence to achieve ideological goals

characterised by totalitarian and anti-democratic ideologies, intolerance to the views of others, hostile imagery and a division into «them» and «us»

The concept of radicalization

• No causal link between e.g. vulnerability and exclusion through radicalization to violence and terrorism (Hemmingsen 2011)

• Radical beliefs not a proxy for terrorism (Borum 2011)

• Lack of attention to the wider circumstances (Sedgwick 2010)

The concept of radicalization

Due to reasons of personal safety, political sensitivity and perceived methodological difficulty, researchers have largely shied away from action and actor-based research […]. The inevitable result has been a very lopsided literature which says surprisingly little on some very important aspects of the subject. (Silke 2004: 9)

The concept of radicalization

- Theories of terrorism, and radicalization processes that may lead to terrorism, lack significant empirical substantiation.

- No dominating theory of radicalization

- In spite of this, strong political focus on preventive action against radicalization (cf. National Action Plans against radicalization)

RADISKAN

What discourses on what levels inform preventive actions. What is their impact on ‘suspect communities’ and on society at large?

How are categories of potentially ‘vulnerable’ individuals and groups created?

How do preventive measures impact potential suspect groups? And how are these measures experienced by the latter?

How do insecurity and ambivalence around radicalization impact levels of trust and distrust within society?

RADISKAN

…towards an analysis of the social settings in which understandings of radicalization are formulated, framed and experienced.

RADISKAN

a study of those who look for potentially radicalized groups vs. those who are being looked at.

Thank you