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On the psychology of violent extremism. Professor Barry Richards Bournemouth university PSA Greek politics specialist group workshop, 20 june 2014 Canada water library london. Humiliation/shame. Retribution/retaliation/revenge e .g. non-ideological ‘rampage’ killers;
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On the psychology of violent extremism Professor Barry Richards Bournemouth university PSA Greek politics specialist group workshop, 20 june 2014 Canada water library london
Humiliation/shame Retribution/retaliation/revenge e.g. non-ideological ‘rampage’ killers; jihadi and neo-Nazi terrorists
Humiliated states of mind: origins Belief (perhaps delusional) in ongoing humiliation of self and/or others Type A Adult experience of humiliation Adult sense of humiliation Type B Childhood experience of humiliation + omnipotence > terror
Psychosocial analysis Societal context always in interaction with psychic interiority Example: the manufacture of dissent, as in media content > generation of Type A humiliation > potential for toxic mobilisation of Type B humiliation *** Professor Barry Richards brichards@bmth.ac.uk
Some reading Lankford, A. and Hakim, N. (2011) From Columbine to Palestine: A comparative analysis of rampage shooters in the United States and volunteer suicide bombers in the Middle East. Aggression and Violent Behaviour 16, 98-107. Richards, B. (2009) ‘Explosive humiliation and news media.’ In Day Sclater, S., et al. (eds.), Emotion: Psychosocial Perspectives. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 59-71. Richards, B. (2014) ‘Extreme nationalism and the hatred of the liberal state’, in N. Demertzis, ed., Emotions in Politics: The Affect Dimension in Political Tension. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 124-142. Richards, B. (in press) ‘What drove Anders Breivik?’ Contexts (journal of the American Sociological Association), forthcoming. Volkan, V. (2004) Blind Trust. Large groups and their leaders in times of crisis and terror. Charlottesville, VA: Pitchstone.