ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a particular aspect of inter-group learning, namely knowledge transfer through the transitioning of personnel between different types of armed groups. The author argues that terrorism should not be examined in isolation from other forms of organized group violence, as her empirical evidence shows that recruits in terrorist groups sometimes have been members of illicit (like criminal gangs) or even licit (like the military) organizations before, carrying their knowledge and skills with them. Thus, investments into learning made by, e.g., the military, can eventually end up benefiting an extremist organization. This represents a form of involuntary dissemination of information from the meso or macro level, as terrorist groups not only gain capable personnel but can also emulate and spread the skills within their ranks, transforming meso-level input into micro-level experience, as well as potentially getting valuable intelligence about their adversaries. The chapter presents a dataset of individuals that have transitioned between different types of organizations and traces the learning trajectories of exemplary cases.
