ABSTRACT
This chapter critically explores how the concept of (violent) extremism has been and continues to be used by academics, policymakers, and practitioners; the suggested causes of political violence within the context of extremism; and the problems and implications of the term’s construction and application. Conceptualisations of violent extremism represent a relatively recent addition to counterterrorism, built on a perceived policy-based requirement to develop a ‘pre-criminal’ approach to violence. However, questions remain as to its suitability and application. The definition of extremism remains unstable, poorly enshrined in national laws, with violent extremism increasingly framed as operating in the same space of, and as a signifier for, terrorism – despite a notable lack of legal safeguards for its application. The link between extremism and violence is highly contested, with policy often drawing upon crude understandings of the dynamics of violence and its link with ideology, whilst current counter-extremism strategies risk adding to, rather than offering a response against, hate crime, securitising community-led practice and stifling freedom of expression and assembly. This chapter offers an overview of current understandings of extremism and considers critical approaches that root discussions on extremism within structural contexts to account for the role the state plays in both countering and enabling violence.
