Critical terrorism studies

An activist scholar perspective

Bibliographic Data

ID12918604
AuthorsEric Herring (0000-0002-1343-1817, University of Bristol, corresponding author)
Year2008
Volume1
Issue2
Pages197-211
Publication date2008-07-11
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCritical Studies on Terrorism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1753-9161 • E-ISSN: 1753-9153
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17539150802187507
OpenAlexW2091728457
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited35

There is a pressing need for critical terrorism studies. Mainstream terrorism studies obscures the class function of terrorism, values the worthy victims of official enemies over the unworthy victims of official allies, keeps Northern state terrorism off the agenda and deploys the concept of terrorism in a way that deleitimises opposition to the power of the global North while legitimising the global North’s own political violence. Critical terrorism studies should break with mainstream terrorism studies on all of these fronts. It should address how terrorism has evolved as an instrument of the power and privilege of the global North. It should treat the victims of terrorism equally on the basis of their common humanity, which means the terrorism of the global North or global South should not be treated as the only terrorism that matters. And it should use the label terrorism to hold up a mirror to those who accuse others of terrorist acts but who engage in, sponsor or are complicit in such acts themselves. Finally, it should situate its challenge to terrorism within a challenge to the use of political violence in general

Criminology · Mainstream · Opposition (politics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · State (computer science · Terrorism · Global Security and Public Health · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence