About Radicalization

A significant worry in terms of global security is the direct relationship between radicalization and terrorism. The process of radicalization results in the formation of political, social, and ethnic groupings that subsequently develop into terrorist organizations. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend the causes of radicalization as well as some of the established views regarding a person’s psychological growth. As a result, the purpose of this essay is to examine two ideas that view radicalization as a process leading to terrorism. The New York Police Department (NYPD) (2007) linear model and Wiktorowiez (2004) linear and emergent mode are the two models chosen for comparison.

Wiktorowiez’s emergent and linear model is based on four distinct stages. These stages include; cognitive opening, religious seeking, frame alignment, and socialization (King & Taylor, 2011). Similarly the NYPD linear model of radicalization has four stages which include; pre-radicalization, self-identification, indoctrination and lastly jihadization (King & Taylor, 2011). It should be noted that the two theories are oriented to the view of oppression as a motive to join the group. For instance, at the cognitive opening, an individual seeks to join radicalized groups due to the feeling of discrimination and victimization (King & Taylor, 2011). For the case of the NYPD model, the Self-identification stage presents an idea that an individual opts to join radicalized group due to the personal crisis with the hope that the group will sought him out or manage his crisis (King & Taylor, 2011).

The two theories have outlined possible models that can lead to terrorism or the joining of the radicalized groups. However, the NYPD model presents a superior explanation of the radicalization concept as compared to the Wkitorowiez linear and engagement model. Firstly, the NYPD model describes a significant stage known as the indoctrination which draws a common idea of the Communities of Practice. According to Taylor and Horgan (2006), the communities of Practice are the informal environment for social learning in which individual exchange views and experiences with each other. In so doing knowledge is developed and transmitted overtime which results in the pursuit members enterprises. Consequently, the practice is created in within that community by continued pursuit of the shared views (Taylor & Horgan, 2006). Connecting this to the indoctrination idea, an individual opts to join the movement in pursuit of the views obtained knowledge. For instance the acquiring of the Jihadi-Salafi worldview which would make an individual forge violence against anything un-Islamic.

The NYPD linear model also presents universal concepts that are central to the notion of terrorism which includes; personal factors, social, political and organizational context. For instance, in the personal factors aspect, people opt to be radicalized due to the personal crisis such as losing job and identity crisis. In such cases, the individual is leveraged by the ideas that forming a new identity is the only way out. On the political aspect, the NYPD radicalization models present the indoctrination idea as a lead in politizing anything including religion and ethnicity. For instance, the knowledge about the western countries waging war on Islam may make the individual be a jihadist to protect the Muslims (King & Taylor, 2011).

References

King, M., & Taylor, D. (2011). The Radicalization of homegrown jihadists: A review of theoretical models and social psychological evidence. Terrorism and political violence, 602-622.

Taylor, M., & Horgan, J. (2006). A Conceptual Framework for addressing Psychological process in the development of the Terrorist. Terrorism and political violence, 586-601.