Key Approaches in Radicalization Research: A Literature Review

Abstract

Radicalization has garnered substantial attention in global security studies and intellectual circles following the dissolution of the Cold War political structure. The concept gained global recognition following the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, as well as in European cities such as Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005. This analytical paradigm has become widely recognized in the profession of interpreting political violence occurrences, especially in scholarly investigations on jihadist terrorism and the participation of Western "foreign fighters" in Syria and Iraq. The social sciences have increasingly focused on radicalization, particularly in relation to homegrown violent extremists. This discussion aims to understand the intricate processes by which seemingly ordinary individuals are drawn toward adopting terrorism. In this context, our study provides the practical foundations of the concept of radicalization within the broader framework of international security architecture and focuses on the key perspectives being discussed in the existing body of literature on radicalization.