How did we get here?

How and why radicalization happens

Image Caption: A man stands in the capital holding a confederate flag. Original Image by REUTERS/Mike Theiler, Edited by Mei Ke.

Radicalization is a difficult topic to talk about, even in politically neutral environments. However, the attack on the capital on Jan 6th, and potential future assaults, make it necessary to address radicalization in a way that is easy for a lay person to understand. Although I myself am not an expert on radicalization, I will be drawing on my graduate level courses and sources from some of the leading experts in the field to give you as a reader a basic idea of why radicalization happens, why it is hard to stop, and what we can do about it. My primary source will be Barbara Walter, a former professor of mine at UC San Diego, whose work has been influential in the study of terrorism, civil war, and radicalization. I will also be adding further citations at the end of this piece; but, as I mention later on in this article, please do not take my single account as the be all end all of your information on this subject.

What is radicalization?

Because the term ‘radicalization’ started gaining popularity after the 9/11 attacks, the word is still commonly tied to the idea of religious extremism in the Middle East. Even though government institutions acknowledge that that white nationalist groups are more of a threat than ‘Islamic terrorism’ to the United States, a majority of the research done on extremism has focused on groups like ISIS and the Islamic State because it is much easier to get funding for the “War on Terror” than a controversial domestic problem. Despite this, the principles we will be discussing today are the same for all measures of radical behavior and ideology, regardless of race or religion.

Due to the divisive nature of the term’s background, there is not one definition that we can use to sum up all types of radicalization. What one person considers extreme does not necessarily translate to another person’s definition. So, for our purposes, we will define ‘radicalization’ as:

1. A gradual process of socialization
2. Said socialization is connected to an extremist belief system
3. That belief system encourages or supports violence as a means for radical change in a society
4. Radical ideology does not necessarily result in radical…