Radicalization as Martialization: Towards a Better Appreciation for the Progression to Violence

• In Event: Terrorism and Radicalization: Recruits in Different Contexts

Abstract

The process whereby individual terrorists radicalize into violent extremism is typically understood as involving a series of individual mechanisms (e.g. grievance, attachment to friends, thrill), group processes (e.g. competition, social cohesion) and mass-public mechanisms. In this article, we demonstrate that this process is actually better understood as one of ‘martialization,’ applicable to varying degrees to conventional and unconventional soldiers alike. We detail these commonalties via an analysis of seven key themes in the literature: 1. A sense of vicarious injustice, 2. Personal connections, 3. A sense of belonging/identity, 4. Meaning, excitement, and glory, 5. Active recruitment, 6. Indoctrination, and 7. Dehumanization. Lastly, we suggest why scholars have previously been blind to these parallels.

Authors

• Kevin D. Haggerty, University of Alberta

• Sandra Bucerius, University of Alberta