Methods in Critical Terrorism Studies

Friday 10 Sept 2021, 12:00 → 14:00 Europe/London

Over the last two decades following 9/11 attacks in the USA, there has been a surge in terrorism studies (TS) and critical terrorism studies (CTS) as two often separate fields. CTS most often uses qualitative critical approaches to engage with questions of terrorism on a conceptual, epistemological and ontological level, whereas TS – as a branch of political science – more often engages quantitative studies to measure the effects of terrorist violence. A major critique of TS by CTS is that it treats terrorism as an objective reality rather than a social construct. However, as Jarvis (2016) notes, in focusing so much energy on TS, CTS risks generalising a complex field which in actuality is heterogeneous.

This seminar asks about what we risk losing out on by focusing solely on either qualitative or quantitative methods to understand terrorism. It opens a conversation about how our choice in methods can inform our thinking on terrorism; how our social and geopolitical positions as academics inform these choices; what ethical concerns we consider when choosing methods; and how we might begin to bridge gaps – both across academia and with practitioners – and expand the potentials of our research through interdisciplinary approaches.

Panellists:

Priya Dixit (Virginia Tech)

Tarela Ike (Teeside University)

Jennifer P. Eggert (Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities and University of Warwick)

Discussant:

Richard Jackson (University of Otago)

Chair:

Alice Finden (SOAS, University of London)