The Sociology of Terrorism

Abstract

This book is a compilation of previously published studies on the role of culture and language in political violence and terrorism. These studies have contributed to a paradigmatic shift in sociological thinking about language and culture in politics, particularly in regard to the genesis and dynamics of violence and terrorism. Blending ideas derived from Michel Foucault and Kenneth Burke, this book is unique in its range of focus from detailed studies of specific cases of violence and terrorism to peace movements in resistence of violence, war, and terrorism.

About the Author

Professor Michael Blain has served four terms as Chair of the Department of Sociology at Boise State University. He has engaged in research on the politics of violence, war and peace, and terrorism for more than three decades. The author of The Politics of Death, he has also published articles and chapters in some of the leading theory journals in his field, including The Psychoanalytic Review, Symbolic Interaction, and Theory and Society. He is a past member of the Council of the Pacific Sociological Association.