Is Extremism the 'New' Terrorism? the Convergence of 'Extremism' and 'Terrorism' in British Parliamentary Discourse
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4086983 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Recep Onursal (0000-0002-0498-4997, University of Kent, corresponding author), Davina Kirkpatrick (0000-0002-8628-2277, University of Kent) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 1094-1116 |
| Publication date | 2021-07-04 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Terrorism and Political Violence (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0954-6553 • E-ISSN: 1556-1836 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/09546553.2019.1598391 |
| OpenAlex | W2940532176 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 24 |
That the distinctions between terrorism and extremism have become increasingly blurred is something of a truism, but there has been little systematic analysis of whether this is truly the case nor of its possible implications. This paper argues that there has been a recent convergence between these two concepts in British parliamentary discourse, reproducing the same signifiers and meanings for non-violent extremism as previously existed for terrorism. In doing so, the paper makes a threefold contribution: methodologically through utilising the underdeveloped approach of post-foundationalist discourse analysis (PFDA) and applying it to the field of terrorism studies; empirically through analysing all the discourse in 1,037 British parliamentary debates between 2010 and 2017; theoretically through drawing together post-foundationalism with Bourdieusian practice theory to show that this transformation of discourse has coincided with social practices of informal criminalization targeting non-violent extremism as if it were terrorism. This has important policy implications as it prescribes particular counter-terrorism practices associated with the hegemonic discourse of terrorism which, when extended to extremism, risk alienating, dehumanizing and motivating the very people deemed to be “at risk” of extremism. The paper illustrates these issues through a discussion of their application in the Prevent Strategy for Higher Education
Criminalization · Criminology · Discourse analysis · Economics · Epistemology · Hegemony · Political science · Politics · Radicalization · Sociology · Terrorism · Violent extremism · Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Law · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
From State to Social Actors in Extremism Prevention
Financialized gentrification, demoviction, and landlord tactics to demobilize tenant organizing
The ‘action/inaction conundrum’ in early interventions to prevent extremism
Kontroversen im Konsens
Watering down the wine
And the emergence of Critical Terrorism Studies
The Floating Signifier of “Radicalization”
Analyzing Radicalization Dynamics in the Language of Non-Violent Extremists Online in the UK (2016–2021)
The discourse of terror
Constructing “violence-affirming extremism”
What makes an incel? An interview study of current and former incels
Strain theory, resilience, and far-right extremism
Governing threats through ambiguity
Explaining the variation and contestation of P/CVE policies around the world
The media, terrorism, and censorship in the UK
How much and why do political parties talk about terrorism
Antagonism of spatial planning and the process of urban counter-development
Cultural criminology, counter-extremism and the contemporary far right
Preventing and countering extremism in the educational sector
That shit doesn't fly”
Islamic religiosity, Islamophobia and gendered harms
The Views on Terrorism in the Name of Islam Held by Islamic Religion Teachers in Spain
Cartoon Elicitation
Above Reproach
| Citations per year | 3.43 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2019 - 2026 (8) |
| Highly cited | No |