88069 - TERRORISM AND COUNTER-TERRORISM

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

The objective of the course is to study terrorism, its aims and forms, with a particular focus on counter-terrorism and the measures implemented by the international community and individual states. Students will examine classic and current research on terrorism and counterterrorism, and explore many of the research puzzles that remain unanswered. Specifically, guided by the existing debate among scholars of terrorism, from traditional to critical positions, students will approach: the spectrum of terrorist motivations, strategies, and operations; the socio-political, economic and other factors that can create enabling environments for terrorist group activities; and finally, the means by which governments (especially liberal democratic states) reacted to contemporary forms of terrorist violence in different regions of the world. This comparative analysis will help students develop a complex understanding of historical trends, meanings, contemporary dilemmas and challenges related to this form of political violence.

Contenuti

The course aims to study contemporary forms of terrorism, its definitions and origins as well as its objectives, functions and forms, with a particular focus on counterterrorism measures implemented both by individual states and the international community. Students will approach classic and current scholarship on terrorism and counterterrorism, and explore many of the research puzzles that remain unanswered. Underpinned by the existing debates among scholars of terrorism, ranging from mainstream to critical perspectives, students will examine the spectrum of terrorist motivations, strategies, and operations; the socio-political, economic and other factors and causes that can create enabling environments for terrorist group activities; and finally, the means by which governments (especially liberal democratic states) react to contemporary forms of terrorist violence in different regions of the world. Classes will be enriched by guest lectures that will present case studies and focus on specific geopolitical spaces that are of critical relevance for current and future trends and scenarios on terrorism and counterterrorism.

 

The course will follow the blended structure. This means that half of the classes will be online Lectures (L) and half interactive in class Seminars (S).

Lectures will be held online (via MS Teams), and the entire class will attend them at the same time.

Seminars will be held in presence in Bologna with students that are willing and able to be present. Those who prefer it, or are not able to be present in Bologna can attend on line.

Both for Lectures and for Seminars students are required to read the materials in advance. You can find the readings and the other materials on the IOL page of the course.

Online lectures will be like traditional frontal classes, even if they will be remotely held. However active participation is strongly encouraged.

Seminars will be different from traditional classes. They will be based on active participation and debates among students. Students will be invited to discuss different ideas and arguments, taking a position. The class will be further divided in subgroups that will be invited to support different sides of an argument on specific issues and topics.

As a consequence, preparing the readings in advance will be essential for the active attendance of the seminars.

At the end of the course students will attend 10 online lectures and 10 seminars.

For each student, the total amount of hours is 40 hours.

The evaluation will consist in class participation and presentations (30%), mid-term (30%) and final exam (40%).

Topics:

1. Introduction, Class overview and the definition of Terrorism (L)
2. International Relations and Terrorism: theoretical approaches and gaps (L)
3. Politics and Terror: an historical background (L)
4. History of Terrorism: case studies and class discussion (S)
5. The Causes of Terrorism and Actors (L)
6. The Causes and Drivers of Terrorism and Extremism: case studies and class discussion (S)
7. Dynamics and Issues of Radicalization (L)
8. Patterns and Processes of Radicalization and Terrorism: class discussion (S)
9. Terrorism, Civil Wars and Insurgency (L)
10. Documentary & Discussion: “Daesh, Deserters, and Their Testimonies” (S)
11. Mid-Term (S)
12. Supranational Approaches: UN (S)
13. Supranational Approaches: EU (L)
14. Geographical Focus: Transnational Terrorism and Counterterrorism in the Sahara-Sahel region (S)
15. Geographical Focus: Terrorism, Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization across EU borderlands (L)
16. Foreign Fighters, lone wolfes & transnational alliances (L)
17. Counterterrorism: International and Domestic Issues (L)
18. Societal Effects of Counter-radicalisation (L)
19. Recap and Discussion (S)
20. Final Exam (S)

Testi/Bibliografia

Useful Textbooks

• Pisou and Jackson (2018) Contemporary Debates on Terrorism, Routledge
• Erica Chenoweth, Richard English, Andreas Gofas, and Stathis N. Kalyvas (2019) The Oxford
• Handbook of Terrorism
• Silke (2019) Routledge Handbook of Terrorism and Counterterrorism.
• Daniela Pisoiu (2018) Theories of Terrorism: An Introduction, Routledge.

  Bibliography for students not attending classes:

• all the readings mentioned in the Programma/Schedule (see below) and additionally the following book Pisou and Jackson (2018) Contemporary Debates on Terrorism, Routledge
• Please contact the Professor to discuss the assessment modalities

1 Introduction, Class overview and the definition of Terrorism (L)

• Richards, A. and Bryan, D. (2018) Is terrorism still a useful analytical term, or should it be abandoned? Yes and NO, Chapter 1, in Pisou and Jackson (2018), Contemporary Debates on Terrorism.
• Stathis Kalyvas (2018) The Landscape of Political Violence, Chapter 2, in Gofas et al. (2018), The Oxford Handbook of Terrorism

  2 International Relations and Terrorism: theoretical approaches and gaps (L)

• D’Amato, Silvia (2019), Introduction Chapter 1, in Cultures of Counterterrorism, Routledge
• Wight, C. (2009). Theorising Terrorism: The State, Structure and History. International Relations, 23(1), 99–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047117808100615

  3 Politics and Terror: an historical background (L)

• Martin A. Miller (2018) European Political Violence During the Long 19th Century, in Gofas et al. (2018), The Oxford Handbook of Terrorism
• Luca Falciola (2015): A Bloodless Guerrilla Warfare: Why U.S. White Leftists Renounced Violence Against People During the 1970s, Terrorism and Political Violence, DOI: 10.1080/09546553.2014.982862

  4 History of Terrorism: case studies and class discussion (S)

• Falciola, L.(2015). "A Bloodless Guerilla Warfare: Why the US White Leftist renounced Violence Against People During the 1970s" Terrorism and Political Violence,  DOI: 10.1080/09546553.2014.982862

• Sànchez-Cuenza, I. (2007). "The Dynamics of Nationalist Terrorism: ETA and the IRA," Terrorism and Political Violence, 19: 289-306. DOI: 10.1080/09546550701246981
  

  5 The Causes of Terrorism and Actors (L)

• Jeff Goodwin (2018) The Causes of Terrorism, Chapter 17, in Gofas et al. (2018), The Oxford Handbook of Terrorism
• Jeroen Gunning & Richard Jackson (2011) What's so ‘religious’ about ‘religious terrorism’?, Critical Studies on Terrorism, 4:3, 369-388, DOI:10.1080/17539153.2011.623405

  6 The Causes and Drivers of Extremism and  Terrorism: case studies and class discussion (S)

• Heath-Kelly, C. (2019). “Drivers of Extremism: Global Political Antagonisms reproduced in Cypriot and Italian Insurgencies,”
• Bures, O. (2016). "Terrorism and Counterterrorism", In Routledge Handbook of Security Studies: Second Edition: 139-149. DOI: 10.4324/9781315753393
  

  7 Dynamics and Issues of Radicalization (L)

• Heath-Kelly, C. (2013), Counter-Terrorism and the Counterfactual: Producing the ‘Radicalisation’ Discourse and the UK PREVENT Strategy. The British Journal of Politics & International Relations, 15: 394-415. doi:10.1111/j.1467-856X.2011.00489.x
• Rajan Basra, Peter R. Neumann (2016) Criminal Pasts, Terrorist Futures: European Jihadists and the New Crime-Terror Nexus, Perspectives on Terrorism, http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/554/1098

  8 Patterns and Processes of Radicalization and Terrorism: class discussion (S)

• Alonso, R. et al (2008). "Radicalisation Processes Leading to Acts of Terrorism". A concise report prepared by the European Commission's Expert Group on Violent Radicalisation.

• Della Porta, D. and Haupt, HG. (2012). "Patterns of Radicalization in Political Activism: An Introduction", Social Science History, 36(3): 311-320
  

  9 Terrorism, Civil Wars and Insurgency (L)

• Kalyvas, S. (2004). The Paradox of Terrorism in Civil War. The Journal of Ethics,

  8(1), 97-138. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25115783

• Zambernardi Lorenzo (2010) “Counterinsurgency Impossible Trilemma”, Washington Quarterly, pp. 21-34.

  10 Documentary & Discussion: “Daesh, Deserters, and Their Testimonies” (S)

  11 Mid-Term (S)

  12 Supranational Approaches: UN (S)

• Karlsrud, J. (2017). Towards UN counter-terrorism operations? Third World Quarterly, 38(6):1215-1231, DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2016.1268907

• Bianchi, A. (2019). Counterterrorism and International Law. In The Oxford Handbook of Terrorism. Oxford University Press.

       13 Supranational Approaches: EU (L)

• Javier Argomaniz, Oldrich Bures & Christian Kaunert (2015) A Decade of EU Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence: A Critical Assessment, Intelligence and National Security, 30:2-3, 191-206, DOI: 10.1080/02684527.2014.988445
• Monar, J. (2015). The EU as an Interntional Counter-terrorism Actor: Progress and Constraints, Intelligence and National Security, 30(2-3): 333-356 DOI:10.1080/02684527.2014.988448

• 14 Geographical Focus: Transnational Terrorism and Counterterrorism in the Sahara Sahel Region. Guest Lecture (S)

  • **Special Guest Lecture: Prof. Francesco Strazzari – Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies
  • Readings tbc

  15 Geographical Focus: Terrorism, Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization across EU borderlands (L)

  **Special Guest Lecture: Dr. Alessandra Russo, School of International Studies, University of Trento

• Readings tbc
16 Foreign Fighters, lone wolves & transnational alliances(L)
• David Malet (2019), Foreign Fighters and Terrorism, in A. Silke, Routledge Handbook of Terrorism and Counterterrorism.
• Ariel Koch (2019): The Non-Jihadi Foreign Fighters: Western Right-Wing and Left-Wing Extremists in Syria, Terrorism and Political Violence, DOI:10.1080/09546553.2019.1581614

       17 Counterterrorism: International and Domestic       Issues (L)

• Jesse P. Lehrke and Ivan Greenberg, Is mass surveillance a useful tool in the fight against terrorism? Yes & NO, Chapter 15, in Pisou and Jackson (2018), Contemporary Debates on Terrorism.
• Andrew Neal (2009), The liberty/security discourse and the problem of the exception, in Exceptionalism and the Politics of Counter-Terrorism, Liberty, Security and the War on Terror:https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780203867587/chapters/10.4324/9780203867587-6

  18 Societal Effects of Counter-radicalisation (L)

• Francesco Ragazzi (2016) Suspect community or suspect category? The impact of counter-terrorism as ‘policed multiculturalism’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 42:5, 724-741, DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2015.1121807
• Daniel Koehler and Charlotte Heath-Kelly (2018) Are counter-radicalisation approaches an effective counterterrorist tool? Yes & NO, Chapter 14, in Pisou and Jackson (2018), Contemporary Debates on Terrorism.

19 Recap and Discussion (S)

20 Final Exam (S)

Metodi didattici

Lectures, seminars, class discussion, presentations and guest lectures

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

Class Participation and Presentations: 30%

Mid-term: 30%

Final exam: 40%

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Power point, videos, documentaries

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Ervjola Selenica