Political Science 144
Chapter 26: Terrorism and globalisation
Relationship between globalisation and terrorism hard to explain inaccurate to suggest that
globalisation is responsible for terrorism, but terrorism has exploited the technologies associated
with globalisation
Terrorism – use of threat of violence to instil fear for political purposes by non-state
actors/groups often indiscriminately target non-combatants to achieve political change
- Tamil tigers in Sri Lanka – first suicide bombs
- Can have religious goals
- Use terrorism because they have little support – if had more support they would have an
army, thus connection to Islam is weak argument
Types of terrorist groups:
1. Left-wing
2. Right-wing
3. Religious/sacred
4. Ethnonationalist/separatist
History of Terrorism:
- Late 19th early 20th century they relied on revolvers and dynamites
- Bombings and assassinations (Empress of Austria 1898) rarely had an impact beyond
national boarders
- Three factors led to the birth of transnational terrorism in 1968:
1. Expansion of commercial air travel (skyjackings, easy mobility)
2. Availability of televised news coverage
3. Broad political and ideological interest among extremists that intersected around a
common cause
Impact of Globalisation:
1. Cultural explanations
- Violence is the only way to preserve traditions and values against a cultural tsunami of
western products and materialism
- Social changes associated with globalisation and spread of capitalism appear to
overwhelm the identity or values of groups who perceive themselves as the losers in the
new international system
2. Economic explanations
- Western Europe and ‘Global North’ or economic core such as the World Bank, set
exchange rates and determine fiscal policies these can be unfavourable to
underdeveloped countries
- Wealth is linked to personal security and violence
1
Chapter 26: Terrorism and globalisation
Relationship between globalisation and terrorism hard to explain inaccurate to suggest that
globalisation is responsible for terrorism, but terrorism has exploited the technologies associated
with globalisation
Terrorism – use of threat of violence to instil fear for political purposes by non-state
actors/groups often indiscriminately target non-combatants to achieve political change
- Tamil tigers in Sri Lanka – first suicide bombs
- Can have religious goals
- Use terrorism because they have little support – if had more support they would have an
army, thus connection to Islam is weak argument
Types of terrorist groups:
1. Left-wing
2. Right-wing
3. Religious/sacred
4. Ethnonationalist/separatist
History of Terrorism:
- Late 19th early 20th century they relied on revolvers and dynamites
- Bombings and assassinations (Empress of Austria 1898) rarely had an impact beyond
national boarders
- Three factors led to the birth of transnational terrorism in 1968:
1. Expansion of commercial air travel (skyjackings, easy mobility)
2. Availability of televised news coverage
3. Broad political and ideological interest among extremists that intersected around a
common cause
Impact of Globalisation:
1. Cultural explanations
- Violence is the only way to preserve traditions and values against a cultural tsunami of
western products and materialism
- Social changes associated with globalisation and spread of capitalism appear to
overwhelm the identity or values of groups who perceive themselves as the losers in the
new international system
2. Economic explanations
- Western Europe and ‘Global North’ or economic core such as the World Bank, set
exchange rates and determine fiscal policies these can be unfavourable to
underdeveloped countries
- Wealth is linked to personal security and violence
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