Structural Influences on Involvement in European Homegrown Jihadism

A Case Study

Bibliographic Data

ID12234792
AuthorsBart Schuurman (0000-0002-2531-0625, Leiden University, corresponding author), Egbert Bakker (0000-0002-1200-9489, Leiden University), Quirine Eijkman (Leiden University)
Year2016
Volume30
Issue1
Pages97-115
Publication date2016-05-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTerrorism and Political Violence (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0954-6553 • E-ISSN: 1556-1836
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09546553.2016.1158165
OpenAlexW2346866292
LanguageEN
Citations received7

This article empirically assesses the applicability of structural-level hypotheses for involvement in terrorism within the context of European homegrown jihadism. It uses these hypotheses to study how structural factors influenced involvement in the Dutch “Hofstadgroup.” Structural factors enabled the group’s emergence and its participants’ adoption of extremist views. They also motivated involvement in political violence and a shift in some participants’ focus from joining Islamist insurgents overseas to committing terrorism in the Netherlands. Finally, structural factors precipitated an actual terrorist attack. No support is found for the frequently encountered argument that discrimination and exclusion drive involvement in European homegrown jihadism. Instead, geopolitical grievances were prime drivers of this process

Argument (complex analysis · Context (archaeology · Criminology · Demobilization · Geopolitics · Ideology · Jihadism · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Terrorism · History · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence