Orfalea Center and TRENDS Research and Advisory Partnership

The Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies and TRENDS Research and Advisory are cooperating on a research project which seeks to understand and explain how we construct our understandings of terrorism and extremism. The purpose of this project is to explore how states and societies construct categories of terrorism and extremism. This research will further contribute to understanding how responses to terrorism and extremism are developed and attempt to understand if these responses help minimize extremism or if they can contribute to a rise in extremism.

The Orfalea Center and TRENDS will together host two conferences during the 2015-2016 academic year. The first will be held in Santa Barbara December 3-4, 2015, the second will be in Washington, D.C. in April 2016. TRENDS has also funded a one-year post-doctoral scholar in the Orfalea Center. This post-doctoral scholar will focus on the constructions of terrorism research project.

TRENDS Research & Advisory is an independent and progressive research center based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, building a global network of research associates. TRENDS aims to help improve policies and decision-making processes through rigorous research and analysis. TRENDS analytical products serve as primary resources for leaders and policy-makers in governments and organizations. Its research initiatives cover vital global, regional and country-specific matters. TRENDS experts hail from around the globe and work to create innovative solutions to confront crucial regional and international trajectories by analyzing and advancing trends.


Constructions of Terrorism Project

Constructions of terrorism emanate from a wide range of sources. Governments and international organizations create criminal laws and administrative lists defining who is a terrorist or what acts constitute terrorism. In society, discussions amongst members and the press plays a major role in how the words terrorism and extremism are used and applied which in turn influences in social understandings and government policy. Terrorist groups themselves contribute to these constructions by the rationales and justifications they use for their actions. Today we are seeing the continual reference to terrorism in everyday language, government policy, news reporting, international diplomacy and from various groups and uprisings. It appears that any form of opposition or deviant behavior involving violence could be classified as a form of terrorism.

With the term being used to describe a wide range of violence, it is difficult to formulate effective government responses aimed at prevention and eradication. It further makes things difficult in social settings for creating conducive environments for reconciliation. This project seeks to establish appropriate research frameworks for understanding how we construct our understandings of terrorism.  From this we will be able to establish guidance for policy makers and states to follow in their efforts to eliminate terrorism and extremism. From the perspective of countering terrorism and extremism, if there is not a well-developed understanding of the object of these frameworks, they will not be effective.

For further information on this research project please contact:

Prof. Michael Stohl, Director, Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies

Dr. Scott Englund, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies

Dr. Richard BurchillDirector of Research and Engagement, TRENDS Research and Advisory

Page Editor

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
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