What We're Reading

May 2019 | Dr. John Horgan

“This past month I have read many articles addressing a variety of topics on terrorism. It can be challenging to highlight the most memorable ones, but this list reflects a series of pieces that really made me think deeply about their content. Their diversity mirrors the complex and dynamic character of today’s terrorism, while my focus on some of them reflects new directions for my research. At Georgia State University, I am about to launch a major new research project into the growing threat of Incel-related violence, so Zack Beauchamp’s excellent piece for Vox was of great interest. We continue to see more commentary on public health approaches to countering violent extremism, and the recent report by Public Health Wales covers these issues in detail. Graeme Wood’s piece on Christchurch is a reminder of how inconsistent our treatment of ideology is. As a psychologist, I am always on the lookout for psychological approaches to terrorism—the recent issue of the New Zealand Journal of Psychology has some terrific analysis on a range of issues that might help us better understand those tragic events.”

Click the links below to learn more.

 

Beauchamp, Zack. “Our Incel Problem” Vox, April 23, 2019 https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/the-highlight/2019/4/16/18287446/incel-definition-reddit?__twitter_impression=true  

Edwards, Aaron. “The Fragility of the Good Friday Peace: The Persistence of Terrorism in Northern Ireland” Combating Terrorism Center, April 2019. https://ctc.usma.edu/fragility-good-friday-peace-persistence-terrorism-northern-ireland/  

Gray, Rosie. “Get Out While You Can” Buzzfeed News, May 1, 2019. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/katie-mchugh  

“Preventing Violent Extremism in the UK: Public Health Solutions” Faculty of Public Healthy, Public Health Wales. https://www.publichealthnetwork.cymru/en/news/preventing-violent-extremism-needs-a-public-health-approach/ 

Soguel, Dominique. “Should ISIS brides and children return to their home nations?” The Christian Science Monitor, April 26, 2019. https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2019/0426/Should-ISIS-brides-and-children-return-to-their-home-nations 

Wilson, Marc, ed. “New Zealand Journal of Psychology” special open-access issue on issues related to the Christchurch terror attack, April 15, 2019. https://www.psychology.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/NZJP-Vol-48-No-1-DRAFT-v2-1.pdf#page=11  

Wood, Graeme. “After Christchurch, Commentators Are Imitating Sebastian Gorka” The Atlantic, March 28, 2019. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/03/ideology-was-behind-christchurch-tragedy/585856/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share  

Wood, Molly. “Extremists Online: How a Troll Becomes a Terrorist” NPR Marketplace Morning Report, March 21, 2019. https://www.marketplace.org/2019/03/21/extremists-online-how-troll-becomes-terrorist/