Terrorism and Social Exclusion

Recent thinking on globalization places risk at the centre of contemporary life. Yet what if our perception of risk is misplaced? What if the greatest risk is not terrorism itself but the conditions that allow terrorism to flourish? This fascinating book illustrates that elevated perceptions of terrorism-related risks are having a deleterious impact on many societies, exacerbating feelings of exclusion among individuals and groups.

Via their exploration of various societies, the expert contributors show that as a causal factor of terrorism, social exclusion can be remedied by inclusive, participatory and deliberative measures. They argue that it would be beneficial to recalibrate counter-terrorism policies to unite rather than divide multi-ethnic, religiously diverse and multicultural societies, stressing the importance of understanding and addressing underlying causes of social tensions. They also assess how global and domestic forces have impacted on the prospects for longer term social cohesion in the countries under review, presenting studies from Western and non-Western societies such as Algeria, Australia, Russia and the United Kingdom, to demonstrate that the differences between these societies are not as stark as is often assumed.

This path-breaking book questions the validity of attacks on multiculturalism. As such, it will appeal to a wide-ranging audience including academics, students and researchers in the fields of counter-terrorism, peace-building, and the sociology of religion. It will also provide valuable insights to policy-makers in the areas of immigration, security and community building.