Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Total Commitment
A question of motivation:
The quest for personal significance The desire to be somebody; to matter; status; recognition; respect
Loss of significance Such loss of significance can be personal or social (humiliation of ones group) Examples that cause stigma or dishonor:
Divorce HIV
Example:
Group grievance as humiliation tool in Al Qaeda propaganda Quote from Abu Yahya al Libi: Jihad in Algeria today is YOUR hope with permission from Allah in redemption from the hell of the unjust ruling regimes whose prisons are congested with YOUR youths and children if not with YOUR women; [regime] which thrust its armies, police, and intelligence to oppress YOU, for which they opened the doors to punish YOU So join YOUR efforts to theirs, add YOUR energies to theirs and know that their victory is YOUR victoryTheir salvation is YOUR salvation.
Research Example
Moroccan immigrants into Spain
Research Findings
Research Example
Pilipino terrorist members of Abu Sayyaf One of the most vicious organizations in the Philippines Investigated the detainees in a prison in Manila They responded to questionnaires on computers Inquired about degree they feel a loss of significance, identify with an ideology and endorse extremism
Research Findings
Research Example
LTTE detainees All male detainees (N = 553) M age = 28.25 years (Min = 18; Max = 56) M months of detention = 7.02 (SD = .21) Education:
59% had less than 10 years of education 41% finished High-School, graduated College or a bachelors degree
Research Example
LTTE detainees All male detainees (N = 553) M age = 28.25 years (Min = 18; Max = 56) M months of detention = 7.02 (SD = .21) Education:
59% had less than 10 years of education 41% finished High-School, graduated College or a bachelors degree
Research Findings
Psychology of Violence
Promoted by quest for significance Quest leads to embracement of an ideology that shows you how to obtain significance To the extent that this ideology suggests that significance is obtained through violence, then violence is supported Commitment to that ideology and focusing on quest for significance leads to terrorism