ABSTRACT
YES: How structural factors explain terrorism
Dipak K. Gupta
This section of the chapter argues that social structural imbalance is a cause of terrorism; however, it is mediated by the agents who frame issues and take strategic actions. The author further notes that even if terrorists themselves are not deprived, they cite these factors as reasons for their engagement, and proposes the insertion of the leadership variable to counteract the weak correlation between poverty or exclusion and terrorism. Terrorism, therefore, is deeply affected by, and related to issues such as poverty and exclusion, even if the relationship is not a simple linear one.
NO: Poverty and exclusion are not the root causes of terrorism
Graham R. Huesmann and L. Rowell Huesmann
This section of the chapter argues that poverty and exclusion are not causes of terrorism. The authors show that absolute poverty does not correlate with violence, and that terrorists do not come from particularly impoverished environments. They suggest that a more promising avenue would be to consider the convergence of situational precipitating factors (such as provocations and aversive situations) and predisposing psychological factors which develop over time. While biology might play a role, it is more likely that scripts get learned in time through repeated exposure to violence.
