STUDENT 1: Tiffany
How does one of the major sociological perspectives (i.e., conflict theory, functionalism, interactionism, feminist theory) help you to understand why terrorism occurs? In explaining your answer, connect at least three main elements of the theory to terrorism.
Answer:
According to Leon-Guerrero 2015 " Functionalists examine how conflicts help maintain the social order, creating and reinforcing social, religious, or national boundaries. War creates social stability by letting everyone know what side they are on: the good guys versus the bad guys or us versus them.
There are norms and boundaries in war: Individuals will know what their roles are, what they should believe in, how they should respond in case of an attack, and how they should interact with members of the other side. But unlike war, the social boundaries in terrorist activities are less certain.
In some cases, the identity of terrorists and their goals may never be known." I personally believe that the functionalist theory is one we can all relate too. The media shows us the good, the bad and the ugly. The media is also famous for showing us who's on the bad side and all the harm that these groups commit. No one is clear to why people perform these terrorist acts on other people or countries.
Reference: Leon-Guerrero, A. (07/2015). Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action, 5th Edition. [Bookshelf Online].
STUDENT 2: Blake
1)How does one of the major sociological perspectives (i.e., conflict theory, functionalism, interactionism, feminist theory) help you to understand why terrorism occurs? In explaining your answer, connect at least three main elements of the theory to terrorism.
Answer:
I believe that the sociological perspective that best explains terrorism would relate to the macro level by way of the conflict perspective. This viewpoint looks at how society is held together by power and coercion and that social problems emerge due to power differences in various groups (Leon-Guerrero, 2014).
Terrorism is defined as "the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government" (Leon-Guerrero, 2014). The conflict perspective views terrorism as an unnatural occurrence due to power struggles between groups that have been oppressed (Leon-Guerrero, 2014).
Nations have often used war for economic or political gain. In such instances, groups are displaced and hurt by war, which can lead to frustration over status and a feeling of submission. Such groups have pathways to become terrorists, such as those that emerged from the wars in the Middle East like Al Qaeda.
After Iraq was invaded in 2003, terrorism spiked in the region by way of suicide bombers and attacks on foreign nationals (Stern & McBride, n.d.). Conflict theory would ascertain that these groups came about due to struggles for dominance and power between Iraq and the U.S.
Countries in the Middle East where many terrorist groups have sprouted have between 19-36% of the population below the poverty line compared to the U.S.'s 15% (CIA, n.d.). Likewise, cultural differences worsen conflict. Shia and Sunni, sects of Islam, dominate the Middle East with Shia sects making up majority of Iraq and Iran compared to the 1% found in the U.S. (Kelley, 2014; Mohamed, 2016).
With these economic and cultural differences from the U.S., the Middle East also holds the title of highest unemployment rate in the world to increase tensions (Ataya, n.d.). All of these differences in statuses and power between the U.S. and Middle East coupled with the spike in terrorism supports the conflict perspective relating to terrorism.
Blake