Aims:
Committing a violent act is emotionally difficult for an individual. Microsociological analyses of violence have demonstrated that there exists an emotional barrier that inhibits violence. Passage through this emotional barrier is enabled by situational circumstances which serve as enabling factors. While most forms of terrorism have these enabling factors, lone actor terrorism presents a unique challenge for an individual looking to navigate through the emotional barriers and engage in violence. This is particularly true of some recent incidents where the attacker has not used remote bombings or arson, but highly confrontational, face-to-face forms of violence. By using Randall Collins’ conception of violence as microsociological interaction, …show more content…
“That few are moved to action is not mysterious, but what remains a puzzle is which few are moved to action[?]”.1 In explaining which few are able to move to action, I propose using a microsociological approach to lone actor terrorist violence. I hypothesize that an individual’s ability to overcome the barrier of confrontational tension and fear (ct/f) is an essential part of explaining which few are able to actually engage in violence. Ct/f exists in virtually all violent interactions, and it is only through mitigation of this barrier that individuals can participate in …show more content…
The first method is a sudden, shock ambush which minimizes the tension between the perpetrator and the target (who often does not know the attack is coming). He cites suicide bombers as being the best example of this, providing a microsociological analysis of a number of case studies.6 The second method of mitigation is the emotional solidarity granted by the presence of compatriots. He argues that this is virtually essential for more prolonged attack types.7 Orsini’s microsociological analysis of left-wing Italian terrorism supports Collins’ assertions. In his findings, Orsini notes the importance of group co-presence in breaking through the inhibiting barrier of ct/f in a number of attacks he studied. 8 Spaaij identifies the challenge for the lone individual, saying that “overcoming confrontational tension may be particularly challenging for a lone wolf terrorist who by definition lacks strong group emotional solidarity, even though… they may imagine or seek such
Committing a violent act is emotionally difficult for an individual. Microsociological analyses of violence have demonstrated that there exists an emotional barrier that inhibits violence. Passage through this emotional barrier is enabled by situational circumstances which serve as enabling factors. While most forms of terrorism have these enabling factors, lone actor terrorism presents a unique challenge for an individual looking to navigate through the emotional barriers and engage in violence. This is particularly true of some recent incidents where the attacker has not used remote bombings or arson, but highly confrontational, face-to-face forms of violence. By using Randall Collins’ conception of violence as microsociological interaction, …show more content…
“That few are moved to action is not mysterious, but what remains a puzzle is which few are moved to action[?]”.1 In explaining which few are able to move to action, I propose using a microsociological approach to lone actor terrorist violence. I hypothesize that an individual’s ability to overcome the barrier of confrontational tension and fear (ct/f) is an essential part of explaining which few are able to actually engage in violence. Ct/f exists in virtually all violent interactions, and it is only through mitigation of this barrier that individuals can participate in …show more content…
The first method is a sudden, shock ambush which minimizes the tension between the perpetrator and the target (who often does not know the attack is coming). He cites suicide bombers as being the best example of this, providing a microsociological analysis of a number of case studies.6 The second method of mitigation is the emotional solidarity granted by the presence of compatriots. He argues that this is virtually essential for more prolonged attack types.7 Orsini’s microsociological analysis of left-wing Italian terrorism supports Collins’ assertions. In his findings, Orsini notes the importance of group co-presence in breaking through the inhibiting barrier of ct/f in a number of attacks he studied. 8 Spaaij identifies the challenge for the lone individual, saying that “overcoming confrontational tension may be particularly challenging for a lone wolf terrorist who by definition lacks strong group emotional solidarity, even though… they may imagine or seek such