Терроризм как социально-психологическое явление. Практикум на английском языке

ciples of tolerance and mutual respect. The teacher, as necessary, should ask leading questions that will allow to give a new direction to the participants’ thoughts and prevent the repetition of similar ideas.

4. The procedure of brainstorming is not considered effective without subsequent examination of ideas. Experts group similar ideas and formulate the general principles that underlie each group. Discuss this problem by defending or refuting the proposed points of view:

The first point of view: Russia’s terrorist security can be ensured only if it is certain “closed” – economic, information, cultural and ideological.

To protect this viewpoint, it is necessary to deal with the concepts of extremism, terrorism, Islamism, national security, terrorist threat, international terrorism, political extremism, religious extremism, political isolationism, political stability, political values; to characterize the historical experience of the existence of various states in the conditions of political isolationism and in the context of a globalizing cultural and information space. Using the proposed questions, justify this point of view:

•How is the problem of terrorism of any state linked to the mainte- nance and reproduction of its political and cultural patterns and economic independence?

•The isolationism policy was practiced by some countries and was to a certain extent typical for Russia in a certain historical period. What are the pros and cons of this policy?

•How are the functions of self-preservation of the political system interrelated and the function of ensuring its stability with the problem of terrorism in Russia? Can we say that they are identical?

•What is the potential danger of the country’s existence in a sin- gle global information space? How can this affect the basic, historically formed political and cultural values?

Second point of view: At present it is impossible to fight against terrorism and ensure national security of the state, without taking into account a certain impact of new factors of socio-political and economic reality?

Supporters of this point of view should identify the factors that determine the specifics of the current world order. In particular, it is necessary to trace the interdependence of economic and socio-political processes; to characterize the consequences of expanding the information space and the development of communication media. Using the proposed ques-

tions, justify this point of view:

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TERRORISM AS A SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENON

1.What determines the growing interdependence of different peoples, countries and regions at the present stage of human development? Can we say that this is an objective and logical process?

2.How are national and international terrorism interrelated? Do you agree with the statement that “terrorism is indivisible”?

3.What threatens the technological and information gap from other countries? Give examples known to you.

4.How do the modern conditions have an impact on the formation of the concept of combating terrorism?

Reports themes

1.Theoretical and methodological bases of studying terrorism and extremism in the Russian Federation and abroad.

2.The United Nations Organization and the policy of ensuring global security and countering terrorism.

3.Anti-terrorism and extremism effort in the concept of national security of the Russian Federation: the social and psychological aspect.

4.Pan-European security system: the prerequisites for formation, practice, development prospects.

5.Helsinki Europe: Analysis of Political Agreements of 1975

6.Advantages and disadvantages of the policy of isolationism in the context of the ensuring national security problem .

List of references on the p. 90.

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Unit 2. Socio-psychological determinants of terrorist activity. Factors affecting the spread of terrorism

The aim: to consider the impact of external and internal factors on the spread of terrorism.

Competence acquired by the student as a result of mastering the topic of practical training or part of them: readiness to act in non-standard situations, to have social and ethical responsibility for the decisions made (GK-2).

Timeliness of the unit: the foundations of terrorism are complex in nature: they are influenced by historical, political, economic, social and psychological factors and determinants. However, psychological factors and determinants are least studied, but they undoubtedly belong to a number of important factors.

Theoretical part

Among the external factors affecting the spread of terrorism are:

a)attempts to penetrate international terrorist organizations into certain regions of the Russian Federation;

b)the presence of foci of terrorist activity near the state border of the Russian Federation and the borders of its allies;

c)the presence in foreign states of training camps for militants for international terrorist and extremist organizations, including anti-Russian orientation, as well as theological educational institutions that propagate the ideology of religious extremism;

d)financial support for terrorist and extremist organizations operating in the territory of the Russian Federation from international terrorist and extremist organizations;

e)the desire of a number of foreign states, including within the framework of the implementation of anti-terrorist activities, to weaken the Russian Federation and its position in the world, to establish its political, economic or other influence in certain subjects of the Federation;

f)spreading the ideas of terrorism and extremism through the Internet information and telecommunications network and the mass media;

g)the interest of the subjects of terrorist activities in broad coverage of their activities in the mass media in order to obtain the greatest public resonance;

h)the absence in the international community of a common approach to determining the causes of the rise and spread of terrorism and

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TERRORISM AS A SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENON

its driving forces, the existence of double standards in law enforcement practices in the field of combating terrorism;

i) the absence of a single anti-terrorist information space at the international and national levels.

Internal factors of terrorism growth include:

–the presence in the country of a large illegal “market” of weapons and the relative ease of its acquisition;

–the formation of a new “Russian diaspora” (the resettlement of Russian citizens outside their own country);

–the presence of a significant contingent of persons who have passed the school of wars in Afghanistan, Trans-Dniester, Serbia, Chechnya, Tajikistan and other “hot spots”, and their insufficient social adaptation in the society of the transition period;

–weakening or absence of a number of administrative and control legal regimes;

–the presence of a number of extremist groups, quasi-military formations;

–cohesion and hierarchy of the criminal environment;

–The loss of many ideological and spiritual life guides by many people;

–a heightened sense of social disorder, insecurity among significant contingents of citizens;

–moods of despair and the growth of social aggressiveness, social frustration, the fall of the authority of authority and law, the belief in the ability and the possibility of positive changes;

–weak work of law enforcement and social state and public bodies to protect the rights of citizens;

–low level of political culture in the society;

–Broad propaganda (cinema, television, press, literature) of cruelty and force cult.

In the case when a terrorist act is carried out by one person, its motivation can be understood only using a psychological approach, the basic ideas of which are the idea that the human psyche is formed on the basis of a broad social context (these are the sociocultural conditions of the society in which the individual is born , is educated, becomes an adult and acquires a system of values, norms and patterns of behavior corresponding to this society).

On the development of the personality, the cultural and historical fea-

tures of the individual’s habitat impose a serious imprint. In this regard,

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it is necessary to emphasize the importance of understanding cultural differences in the world outlook and orientations of people born and educated in various socio-cultural settings. This should not entail either the praise or condemnation of any nation or ethnic group in the light of the latest events of the increase in terrorist activity in the world.

All cultures have their own ideas about the links between behavior, worldview and the picture of the world in which they live. This picture of the world (the constructed world) is formed and maintained through a process of socialization that unites people in interconnected communities, organizations, institutions, including the family, the school, and various political, economic and religious entities. Ultimately, it is through changes in the concrete conditions of the life of a person that his psyche can change and form in the direction of more or less broad ethnocentric views on the reality of the surrounding world.

The general social basis for the emergence of mass violence is the social conditions in society: severe economic problems, protracted violent ethnopolitical conflicts, rapid socio-cultural changes or a combination of these factors that have a colossal frustrating psychological effect-they block the satisfaction of the vital basic needs of people.

The most famous international terrorist organizations are Al-Qaida, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban, Abu Nidal.

JAPANESE RED ARMY. This international terrorist group was established in 1970. Among the largest terrorist acts carried out by the army – the bloodbath at the Israeli airport Lod in 1972, an attempt to capture the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur and the capture of two airliners at the same place. The number of the army members is unknown, the backbone of the leadership is about 8 people. The location of the organization is also unknown. Her leader is free.

ORGANIZATION OF ABU NIDAL (“Black September”) is a terrorist international organization. It is headed by Sabri al-Banna. She carried out terrorist acts in 20 countries. About a thousand of people was killed. In addition to European countries, the goal of “Black September” is the United States. Many terrorist attacks were carried out at airports around the world, including Rome and Vienna, in 1986. The Pan American airplane in Karachi was stolen. The organization’s size is supposedly several hundred people, not counting the militia in Lebanon and helping structures abroad.

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TERRORISM AS A SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENON

The terrorist organizations examined, other than Al Qaeda and the Taliban, were not seen in the terrorist activities directed against Russia, did not operate on its territory.

Methodological recommendations

1.Form a group of participants, trying to ensure the heterogeneity of its composition.

2.Think about all aspects of the problem, avoiding template, typical solutions. Try to use not only critical thinking, but also imagination, not hesitating to express even “absurd” ideas.

3.During the “brainstorming session”, students are asked to answer the following questions: What tasks should culture solve in the context of countering terrorism? How can one form a negative attitude toward terrorist activities?

4.All participants should be provided with an equal opportunity to express their ideas; relations between them should be based on the principles of tolerance and mutual respect. The teacher, as necessary, should ask leading questions that will allow to give a new direction to the participants’ thoughts and prevent the repetition of similar ideas.

5.The procedure of brainstorming is not considered effective without subsequent examination of ideas. Experts group similar ideas and formulate the general principles that underlie each group. Discuss the problem, defending or refuting the suggested points of view.

Anti-colonial and international terrorism: from the end of World War II until the 1980s. Terrorism has become a common phenomenon for decades after the Second World War. The main forces and processes that conditioned this evolution were the Cold War, anti-colonialism and the intensive development of the media, especially television.

As a result of the Cold War, an open confrontation between the superpowers of the eastern and western blocs was avoided for a simple reason – the need to prevent a direct clash that could turn into a global nuclear conflict. This led to the growth of replacing bloody conflicts around the globe with massive flows of material and military resources.

In addition to planting, supporting and arming the authoritarian despotic regimes capable of carrying out state terror (for example, the support of the Shah of Iran and other despotic regimes in the Middle and Far East by the United States), it also led to the emergence of rebel

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armed groups in Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia (for example, “Red Brigades”, “Faction of the Red Army”, etc.). Many of these groups began to use the whole spectrum of terrorist activities in their struggle, as they sought to destroy the relationship of existing government regimes with their supporters among the general population and at the same time create their own base of social support and a semblance of legitimacy in the eyes of the population.

Each culture has its own theory of behavior (even if they are implicit) and a concept of the links between behavior and worldview, a picture of the world in which they live. This picture of the world (the constructed world) is simultaneously formed and maintained through a process of socialization that unites people in interconnected institutions (communities, organizations, institutions), including the family, the school, and various political, economic and religious entities. Ultimately, it is through changes in this institutional matrix that the human psyche itself can be changed and structured in the direction of broader and less ethnocentric views on the reality of the world around.

What is at stake today in connection with the process of globalization, for many nations, states and socio-cultural groups - is a cultural identity, the meaning of existence, the preservation of status in the world society, well-being and survival.

The problem of survival has become a “key argument” that justifies immediate action, even when new precedents are created in international relations, diplomacy and the ways of conducting war. The governments of a number of countries (the United States, Britain, Israel) believe that terrorism can be defeated through vigilance, brutal counter-terrorism measures and the destruction of terrorist resources.

However, these measures alone can never be sufficient to stop the “flow of terrorism” that stems from human dissatisfaction and outrage with existing inequalities and indifference, from the widespread belief that violence is an acceptable means of repression and damage (application principle “the end justifies the means”). Social changes, caused worldwide by globalization on the Western pattern, lead to serious threats and problems for many countries and peoples of “non-Western civilization”. These problems are ignored by Western countries in their quest to get “short-term” temporary benefits for themselves.

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TERRORISM AS A SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENON

Emerging anger and irritation are directed against “Westernization” with an emphasis on consumption and waste, exploitation and profit at any cost. The Western value-civilizational paradigm of existence emphasizes individualism, pragmatism, consumerism, competition, and is therefore in conflict with the traditional cultural values of collectivistic cultures, for which collectivism, spirituality, stability, a hierarchy of fixed roles and cooperation are the main ones.

Terrorism can be restrained, but it cannot be defeated as long as there are real factors that threaten justice, which harbor hatred, a desire for revenge and promote their wide dissemination. In the fight against terrorism, military successes are possible, but inevitably a moment comes when it is necessary to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the human psyche and the cultural environment in which they are formed and maintained.

Reports themes

1.Psychological and economic determinants of xenophobia and ethnic conflicts and mechanisms for their overcoming.

2.Ethno-confessional threats to public security in modern Russia.

3.Confessional problems in the psychology of ethno-religious con-

flicts.

4.Extremism among the North Caucasian youth: analysis and prevention issues.

5.Ethnosocial and ethnopolitical inequality as a condition for the emergence of a national-ethnic conflict.

List of references on the p. 90.

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Unit 3. Psychological portrait of terrorism as a social phenomenon. Psychological processes accompanying terrorist acts (spontaneous mass behavior). The variety

of “terrorism models”. Psychological features of the terrorism manifestation in the North Caucasus region

The aim: to study the psychological portrait of terrorism, to consider the models of terrorism and their features of manifestation.

Competence acquired by the student as a result of mastering the topic of practical training or part of them: readiness to act in non-standard situations, to have social and ethical responsibility for the decisions made (GK-2).

Timeliness of the unit: terrorism in the North Caucasus – fighting between militants of various extremist and separatist groups in the North Caucasus after the official abolition of the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya. At the moment, there is an exchange of blows between the security officials and the bandit underground in the North Caucasus. The political and economic situation in the North Caucasus led to the fact that the religious consciousness of Muslims was represented by two types: traditional, that is close to fundamentalism, and ex- tremist-Salafi (Wahhabi), which was the basis for the development of a terrorist movement in the region under Islamic cover.

Theoretical part

Terrorism in the North Caucasus – fighting between militants of various extremist and separatist groups in the North Caucasus after the official abolition of the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya.

Separatism (French “separatism”, from the Latin “separatus” – separate) – the desire to separate, isolate; movement for the separation of part of the state and the creation of a new public education or for the granting of a part of the country’s autonomy. Separatism, on the one hand, is based on the international principle of the people’ right to self-determination, and on the other hand, it leads to violation of international principles of sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the state, inviolability of borders, and experience shows that it can be a source of acute interstate and interethnic conflicts. At the same time, the causes of separatism are connected with a gross violation of human rights and peoples, national, racial and religious groups (minorities).

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TERRORISM AS A SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENON

Extremism (from Latin “extremus” – extreme) is a commitment to extreme views and measures (usually in politics). As a rule, it is expressed in the use of force, aggression, banditry, terrorism, inciting hatred, etc. April 16, 2009 – the date of the official cancellation of the regime of the counter-terrorist operation and the end of the war in Chechnya.

But conflicts do not stop. They are escalating and spreading throughout the region.

Under the conflict escalation (from the Latin “scala” – ladder) is understood the progressive development of the conflict in time, the aggravation of the confrontation, in which the subsequent destructive effects of opponents on each other are higher in intensity than the previous ones. The escalation of the conflict represents the part that begins with the incident and ends with the weakening of the struggle, the transition to the end of the conflict.

At the moment, there is an exchange of blows between the security officials and the bandit underground in the North Caucasus. This process, despite the advantages of law enforcement officers, there is no end in sight. How to cut off professional bandits, ideologists of the underground from youth?

–harsh militaristic measures;

–the application of the principle, the so-called “soft power” – soft power - dialogue with political forces in the North Caucasus.

Police methods will only push radicals into extremism and terrorism. Hence the need for counter propagandist activities in the field of countering terrorism becomes clear. Counter propagandist activity, in this case, is the prevention or minimization of the actions of extremist and terrorist organizations by political, informational and other measures and, above all, by ideological influence both on the subjects of extremist, terrorist organizations, on their accomplices, and on possible (potential) members of these organizations.

As a result, the traditionalist type of religious consciousness of believers prevailing in the region, especially in the foothill and mountain regions of the North Caucasus republics, primarily in Dagestan and Chechnya, as well as in Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and KarachaevoCherkessia, in the last two or three years has become obviously gravitate to fundamentalism. The point is that an increasing number of people would like to live in an Islamic state according to the sacred laws of

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