NCJ Number
134234
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 15 Issue: 1 and 2 Dated: (Spring/Fall 1991) Pages: 33-48
Date Published
1991
Length
16 pages
Annotation
By drawing upon field studies conducted in the Philippines over the past decade (Austin, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1989), this paper developed the initial stages of a theoretical analysis of the impact of terrorism upon citizens at the individual, group, and village levels.
Abstract
The examples discussed in this article derive generally from multiple indepth interviews with rural and urban Filipino locals who have experienced terrorism over time in a terrorist-prone region. Interviews were corroborated and clarified through an exhaustive scrutiny of local weekly newspapers. Most of the information pertains to life in and around the coastal province of Lanao el Norte. Most of the fieldwork was conducted in the summer of 1988. By interpreting and arranging axioms, a variety of theoretical propositions are developed regarding the impact of terrorism upon culture, personality, interactions, and situation. Regarding the cultural impact of terrorism, the propositions pertain to the polarization of the citizenry between activism and passivism, a heightened sense of personal vigilance, and increased awareness of compelled decisionmaking. Propositions on terrorism's impact on interactions address the extent of fluctuation in group membership and increased opportunity for the citizenry to use terrorism to their advantage. Propositions regarding terrorism's impact on personality focus on citizen anger, guilt, and mutual distrust. Propositions pertaining to the situation concern citizen mobility, inordinate impact of the poor and the wealthy, the influence of religious beliefs, and the style of social control. 7 notes and 27 references