NCJ Number
110159
Journal
Contemporary Crises Volume: 11 Dated: (1987) Pages: 223-242
Date Published
1987
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the content and dynamic of terrorism and feuding argues that both phenomena contain self-perpetuating mechanisms that ensure their survival and that vengeance ensures that they will usually lead to serious violence.
Abstract
Marxist and Freudian explanations suggest both the material and psychological aspects of the cycles of violence that are common to both feuding and terrorism. The difference between the two phenomena is that vengeance occurs at different levels of social organization in each. Feuding societies are smaller, more personalistic societies than are the situations of some terrorist groups. However, the conditions of the modern age serve to increase terrorism. With terrorist groups dispersed all over the globe, competition over honor increases, thus escalating terroristic forms of violence. Technology is also a source of the expansion of terrorism in that it enables small terrorist groups to command large amounts of respect because of their ability to impose huge punishments. The facts that terrorists are individuals as well as group members and that most are male must also be recognized. The finding that vengeance is the motivating force that escalates terrorist and feuding activities suggests that nonretaliation would be a way of stopping terrorist violence. With no acts to avenge, the ideological justifications for terrorist behavior are defused. The possibility that vengeance may operate even at the highest levels of government also needs to be considered. 57 notes.