NCJ Number
44680
Journal
Contemporary Crises Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: (JULY 1977) Pages: 303-318
Date Published
1977
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THE ACT OF TERRORISM IS CONSIDERED AS THE RESULT OF SOCIAL MEANINGS WHICH ASSIGN EITHER LEGITIMACY OR OUTRAGE TO A GIVEN BEHAVIOR; THE CHANGING QUALITY OF MORALITY AS A FUNCTION OF SOCIAL MEANINGS IS STRESSED.
Abstract
THE PROCESS OF REIFICATION, THROUGH WHICH AN INFLUENTIAL GROUP 'CONSTRUCTS REALITY' BY CREATING AND DEFINING A MORAL CLIMATE FOR OTHER MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, IS USED TO EXPLAIN A PARADOX THAT FOLLOWS ACTS OF TERRORISM, I.E., INDIVIDUAL, OR NONSTATE, TERRORISM IS GENERALLY SEEN AS EVIL, WHILE OFFICIAL, OR LEGITIMATE, TERRORISM IS RELATIVELY ACCEPTED. BOTH INDIVIDUAL AND POLITICAL INCIDENTS OF TERRORISM ARE DESCRIBED AS ILLUSTRATIONS OF VIOLENCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL WITHIN A TERRORIST CONTEXT. FURTHER EXAMPLES OF REIFICATION AND ASSIGNATION OF SOCIAL MEANINGS ARE CITED, INCLUDING THE TAKEOVER BY THE MILITARY JUNTA IN CHILE IN 1974 AND THE MISDEEDS OF FORMER PRESIDENT NIXON'S ADMINISTRATION. IN THE AUTHOR'S VIEW, IT IS MODERN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY'S INCREASED VULNERABILITY TO TERRORISM WHICH MAKES IT APPEAR HORRENDOUS AND SUBJECTS ACTS OF TERRORISM TO MORAL INDIGNATION; OFFICIAL TERROR, HOWEVER, IS ACCEPTED AS SEVERE BUT NECESSARY. THE TERM 'TERRORISM' MUST EITHER BE BANISHED BY THE SOCIOLOGIST OR EVENLY APPLIED TO BOTH GOVERNMENTS AND INDIVIDUALS.