NCJ Number
215002
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 84 Issue: 4 Dated: June 2006 Pages: 1987-2008
Date Published
June 2006
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the use of a social network perspective in providing a better understanding to the underlying developments of suicide attacks in recent years.
Abstract
The methodical analysis of social networks provides the ability to closely examine the phenomenon of suicide bombers from a different angle and offers a number of conclusions. First, networks are local and cross-organizational. They are based mainly on primal ties of family and friends and many of those who join the networks never belonged to any organization. Second, networks do not have leaders, but rather hubs. They do not have a formal status, but they do navigate the network’s operations. Thirdly, suicide bombers are not recruited. They are peripheral figures in the network who join the ranks ad hoc, from the environment close to the network, for the purpose of carrying out a suicide attack. Fourth, the structure of all the networks and the division of roles are almost identical. The fifth and final conclusion is that from all the above, countermeasures might seem to be ineffective. In contrast to most important works in the field of suicide attacks, which have assumed that the use of suicide bombers is a product of hierarchical organizational systems, this article adopts a horizontal, rather than hierarchical-formal approach. It utilizes a methodical analysis of social networks. By employing a social network analysis of Palestinian suicide networks, it is found that decisions have actually been made, to a great extent, by local activists, and struggles between local and family groups have proved to be the best predictor of their actions in this context. References and appendix