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Defining and Theorizing Terrorism: A Global Actor-Centered Approach

Journal of World-Systems Research

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Title Defining and Theorizing Terrorism: A Global Actor-Centered Approach
 
Creator Lizardo, Omar
 
Description Arriving at a consensual definition of the phenomenon of terrorism has been a particularly difficult undertaking. Some definitions are either too specific or too vague, concentrating on some essential terrorist aspect of the actions, strategies, or types of non-state organizations that engage in terrorism. In this paper I draw on global approaches from international relations and world systems theories to propose a definition of terrorism that skirts these issues by concentrating on terrorist actors rather than terrorist behavior. I argue that this approach has several advantages, including the dissolution of several empirical and analytical problems produced by more essentialist definitions, and the location of terrorism within a two dimensional continuum of collective-violence phenomena in the international system which discloses important theoretical insights. I proceed to examine the characteristics of terrorism by comparing it with other forms of violence in the international system. I propose that terrorism may be part of the cycles and trends of unrest in the world system, responding to the same broad families of global dynamics as other forms of system-level conflict.
 
Publisher University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
 
Date 2008-08-26
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
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Format application/pdf
 
Identifier http://jwsr.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jwsr/article/view/341
10.5195/jwsr.2008.341
 
Source Journal of World-Systems Research; Volume 14, Issue 2, 2008; 91-118
1076-156X
 
Language eng
 
Relation http://jwsr.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jwsr/article/view/341/353
 
Rights Copyright (c) 2015 Omar Lizardo
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0