About the Book
This handbook provides a theoretical and methodological exploration of the research on radicalisation and counter-radicalisation, one of the most influential concepts in Security Studies, International Relations, and Peace and Conflict Studies.
Sitting at the heart of high-profile research and policy agendas on preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE), radicalisation as a concept has transformed the way researchers, policymakers, and societies think about how to counter terrorism and political violence. Deliberations about radicalisation and countering radicalisation have become further embedded as efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism have been ‘mainstreamed’ into other areas of public policy and practice, such as education, gender relations, health, peacebuilding, aid, and development. Theoretically and methodologically pluralistic, this handbook addresses radicalisation and countering radicalisation as they relate to a wide range of groups and milieus, articulating diverse ideological positions, drawing together insight and experience from multiple geographic and institutional settings, integrating global perspectives, and including scholarship focused on a range of policy fields.
This book will be an essential reference point for anybody working on radicalisation, countering radicalisation, or terrorism and political violence more broadly. The insight that it provides will be relevant for both academics and members of relevant policy and practitioner communities.
Table of Contents:
1. 1. Introduction Part I: The History of Research on Radicalisation 2. Before ‘radicalisation’: Explaining individual involvement in terrorism before the popularisation of the radicalisation concept 3. ‘Radicalisation’ and ‘countering radicalisation’: The emergence and expansion of a contentious concept 4. Analysing ‘radicalisation’ in historical cases Part II: Analytical Approaches to Radicalisation 5. The role of ideology in radicalisation 6. Identity and Extremism: Sorting out the causal pathways to radicalisation and violent self-sacrifice 7. Social movement theory and research on radicalisation 8. Criminological perspectives on extremist radicalisation and terrorist acts 9. Insights from the study of new religious movements into the process of radicalisation 10. The pen and the sword: Cognition, emotion, communication, and violent radicalisation 11. Gender perspectives on radicalisation 12. Radicalisation and psychopathology 13. Belonging is just a click away: Extremism, radicalization, and the role of online communities 14. Radicalisation of ‘lone actors’ 15. Radicalisation of 'foreign fighters’ Part III: Countering Radicalisation: Key Debates 16. Countering violence or ideas? The politics of counter-radicalisation 17. Responding to radicalisation with different ideological roots: How similar is the ‘problem’? How similar are the ‘solutions’? 18. Who should be involved with counter radicalisation policy and practice? 19. Working with communities to counter radicalisation 20. The role of research and researchers in counter-radicalisation policy and practice 21. How can we meaningfully evaluate the effects and effectiveness of programmes to prevent or counter radicalisation? 22. Re-colonizing the field of evaluation of prevention of violent radicalisation: A critical, cross-regional perspective Part IV: Countering Radicalisation: Strategies and Challenges 23. Rethinking CVE and public health prevention: Towards health promotion 24. Multi-agency approaches to countering radicalisation 25. Naturalisation through mainstreaming: counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation in UN and EU discourse 26. Countering radicalisation while expanding the criminal law 27. Responding to radicalisation through education 28. Counter narratives and strategic communications, offline and online 29. Deradicalisation and disengagement: Lessons from the Indonesian experience 30. Interventions with 'at risk' individuals 31. How can general violence risk assessment and management inform that of violent extremist risk? 32. Content moderation: Social media and countering online radicalisation 33. Radicalisation, counter-radicalisation and governance in fragile states 34. Local contours and global discourses in countering violent radicalization and extremism: A perspective from the Global South
About the Author :
Joel Busher is Professor of Political Sociology at the Institute for Peace and Security, Coventry University. He is co-editor of Researching the Far Right: Theory, Method and Practice (Routledge, 2021) and author of The Making of Anti-Muslim Protest (Routledge, 2016), which was awarded the British Sociological Association’s Philip Abrams Memorial Prize.
Leena Malkki is Director of the Centre for European Studies at the University of Helsinki. She is the chair of the ECPR Standing Group on Political Violence and a member of the editorial board of Terrorism and Political Violence.
Sarah Marsden is Senior Lecturer in the School of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews. She is the author of Reintegrating Extremists: Deradicalisation and Disengagement.
Review :
"This is a super book, worthy of its important subject matter. The line-up of contributors is stellar, the range of perspectives is deeply impressive. It is destined to become the standard reference text on radicalisation."
Andrew Silke, Professor of Criminology, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
"Brilliant! This handbook should be on every student, researcher, practitioner and policy maker’s shelf. A much needed comprehensive, diverse, multidisciplinary and, most importantly, critical approach to understanding and preventing violent radicalization."
Ghayda Hassan, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada; Director of the Canadian Practitioners Network for the Prevention of Radicalization and Extremist Violence
"With definitive contributions from so many of the top scholars in radicalisation studies, this comprehensive handbook is an invaluable resource for academics, practitioners, and students alike and guaranteed to remain so for the foreseeable future."
Noémie Bouhana, Professor of Crime Science and Counter Extremism, University College London, UK
"A key strength of the The Routledge Handbook on Radicalisation and Countering Radicalisation is its multidisciplinary approach to analysing the concept of radicalisation and its various cognitive and behavioural expressions. Contributions raise critical issues relevant to the policy and practice of counter radicalisation and it will be of interest to both practitioners and scholars."
Adrian Cherney, Professor, School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Australia
"This book is a significant contribution to our understanding of radicalisation. It offers a series of coherent conceptual analyses addressing some of the most challenging areas, and also develops practical insights and strategies to address radicalisation in communities and with individuals at both practical and policy levels."
Max Taylor, Visiting Professor, Department of Security and Crime Sciences, University College London, UK
