Course Syllabus
Obiettivi formativi
Conoscenza e comprensione
Padroneggiare gli approcci socio-criminologici al fenomeno dell'estremismo violento e ai conflitti ad esso associati.
Capacità di applicare conoscenza e comprensione
• Interpretazione del fenomeno dell'estremismo violento nelle sue molteplici forme attraverso casi di studio
• Capacità di applicare metodologie qualitative
• Capacità di sviluppare dialoghi interdisciplinari
• Analisi critica delle politiche criminali in materia
Autonomia di giudizio
Autonomia nella riflessione critica sul discorso socio-criminologico relativo all'intreccio tra violenza ed estremismo.
Abilità comunicative
Proprietà di linguaggio socio-criminologico.
Capacità di apprendere in modo autonomo
Acquisizione di strumenti conoscitivi per aggiornare le proprie conoscenze e applicarle ai contesti socio-culturali in cui prende forma il fenomeno dell’estremismo violento.
Contenuti sintetici
Il corso affronterà il complesso fenomeno dell'estremismo violento utilizzando un approccio comparativo e interdisciplinare per aiutare gli studenti a esplorare le sue sfide pragmatiche e teoriche.
Attingendo alla letteratura emergente nel campo della criminologia interazionista, narrativa, culturale e critica, il corso analizzerà diversi modelli di radicalizzazione ed estremismo violento ed esaminerà le possibili modalità di risposta all'estremismo violento in termini di politiche criminali.
Programma esteso
Il corso affronterà il complesso fenomeno dell'estremismo violento utilizzando un approccio comparativo e interdisciplinare per aiutare gli studenti a esplorare sia le sue sfide pragmatiche che teoriche.
L'introduzione al corso sarà dedicata alla controversa definizione di estremismo violento. Attingendo alla letteratura emergente nel campo della criminologia interazionista, narrativa, culturale e critica e dopo aver analizzato diversi modelli di radicalizzazione ed estremismo violento, il corso metterà in evidenza: come i processi di radicalizzazione violenta possano avere fattori molteplici e complessi e sia quindi necessario oltrepassare spiegazioni lineari di causa ed effetto; che è necessario superare una visione semplicistica e riduttiva del rapporto tra religione e violenza, da un lato, e della rigida distinzione tra estremisti violenti e non violenti, dall'altro; che la radicalizzazione violenta è un processo psicosociale dinamico, complesso e multidimensionale.
Nella parte finale del corso verranno esaminate le possibili modalità di risposta all'estremismo violento in termini di politiche criminali: dall'antiterrorismo (counter-terrorism, CT) agli approcci preventivi che si avvalgono di metodi non coercitivi (CVE, Countering Violent Extremism ) – compresi programmi di prevenzione, intervento e riabilitazione con un collegamento al campo della giustizia riparativa.
Prerequisiti
Buone capacità di apprendimento, scrittura e comunicazione orale in inglese.
Metodi didattici
Il corso sarà erogato in lingua inglese. Durante il corso, sarà valorizzato il ruolo attivo degli studenti, che potranno far propri gli approcci teorici e metodologici proposti.
- 20 lezioni da 2 ore svolte in modalità erogativa (DE) nella parte iniziale che è volta a coinvolgere gli studenti in modo interattivo (DI) (discussioni di gruppo, anche mediante l'uso di filmati) nella parte successiva. Tutte le attività sono svolte in presenza;
- 1 lezione da 2 ore svolta in modalità erogativa da remoto.
Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento
Prova orale: la prova orale consiste in un colloquio svolto sui testi d’esame e sugli argomenti svolti a lezione.
Durante la prova orale è anche possibile discutere un elaborato scritto concordato preventivamente con il docente e sviluppato a partire dai contenuti teorici indicati in bibliografia.
Testi di riferimento
Borum, R. (2012), "Radicalization into Violent Extremism I: A Review of Social Science Theories." Journal of Strategic Security 4, 4: 7-36.
Borum, R. (2012), "Radicalization into Violent Extremism II: A Review of Conceptual Models and Empirical Research." Journal of Strategic Security 4, 4: 37-62.
Ceretti, A., Natali, L. (2020) Exploring Violent Cosmologies From a “Radical Interactionist” Approach. Critical Criminology. (open access: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10612-020-09536-y )
Ilan J, Sandberg S. (2019) How ‘gangsters’ become jihadists: Bourdieu, criminology and the crime–terrorism nexus. European Journal of Criminology, 16(3): 278-294. doi:10.1177/1477370819828936
McCulloch, J., Walklate, S., Maher, J. et al. (2019) Lone Wolf Terrorism Through a Gendered Lens: Men Turning Violent or Violent Men Behaving Violently? Critical Criminology 27, 437–450
Presser, L., Sandberg, S. (2019) Narrative Criminology as Critical Criminology. Critical Criminology 27, 131–143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-019-09437-9
Ravagnani. L. (2021) Rehabilitation work with convicted offenders outside of prison: https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/default/files/what-we-do/networks/radicalisation_awareness_network/ran-papers/docs/ran_ad-hoc_rehab_outside_of_prison_20201120_en.pdf
Ruiz Yamuza, FG., Ravagnani, L. (2018) Countering Islamic radicalisation in prison through restorative justice based programmes. ERA Forum 18, 611–626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12027-018-0515-6
Sandberg, S, and Colvin, S. (2020) ‘ISIS is not Islam’: Epistemic Injustice, Everyday Religion, and Young Muslims’ Narrative Resistance, The British Journal of Criminology, 60 (6): 1585–1605, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azaa035
Sandberg, S. and Andersen, J.C. (2019), Opposing violent extremism through counter-narratives: Four forms of narrative resistance, in Fleetwood, J., Presser, L., Sandberg, S., Ugelvik, T. (Eds.) The Emerald Handbook of Narrative Criminology. Emerald Publishing.
Silke, A., & Veldhuis, T. (2017). Countering Violent Extremism in Prisons: A Review of Key Recent Research and Critical Research Gaps. Perspectives on Terrorism, 11(5), 2-11.
Sunde, H.M., Ilan, J., Sandberg, S. (2020). A cultural criminology of “new” jihad: Insights from propaganda magazines. Crime, Media, Culture. doi:10.1177/1741659020915509
Wibisono, S., Louis, W. R., & Jetten, J. (2019). A Multidimensional Analysis of Religious Extremism. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 2560. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02560
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning objectives
Knowledge and Understanding
Mastery of socio-criminological approaches to the phenomenon of violent extremism and its associated conflicts.
Applying Knowledge and Understanding
Interpretation of violent extremism in its multiple forms through case studies; ability to apply qualitative methodologies; ability to develop interdisciplinary dialogues; critical analysis of related criminal policies.
Judgement Autonomy
Ability to critically and independently reflect on socio-criminological discourse concerning the intersection of violence, radicalization and extremism.
Communication Skills
Proficiency in socio-criminological language.
Ability to Learn Independently
Acquisition of cognitive tools to update one’s knowledge and apply it to the socio-cultural contexts in which the phenomenon of violent extremism takes shape.
Contents
The course will deal with the complex phenomenon of violent extremism using a comparative and interdisciplinary approach to help students explore both its pragmatic and its theoretical challenges.
Drawing on emergent literature in the field of interactionist, narrative, cultural and critical criminology, the course will analyze different models of radicalization into violent extremism and will examine the possible ways of responding to violent extremism in terms of criminal policies.
Detailed program
The course will deal with the complex phenomenon of violent extremism using a comparative and interdisciplinary approach to help students explore both its pragmatic and its theoretical challenges.
The introduction to the course will be dedicated to the controversial definition of violent extremism. Drawing on emergent literature in the field of interactionist, narrative, cultural and critical criminology and after having analyzed different models of radicalization into violent extremism, the course will highlight: how the processes of violent radicalization can have multiple and complex factors and therefore we need to counter linear explanations of cause and effect; that it is necessary to go beyond a simplistic and reductive vision of the relationship between religion and violence, on the one hand, and of the rigid distinction between violent and non-violent extremists, on the other; that violent radicalization is a dynamic, complex and multidimensional psycho-social process.
The final part of the course will examine the possible ways of responding to violent extremism in terms of criminal policies: from anti-terrorism (counter-terrorism, CT) to preventive approaches that make use of non-coercive methods (CVE, Countering Violent Extremism) – including prevention, intervention and rehabilitation programmes with a link to the field of restorative justice.
Prerequisites
Good skills in learning, writing and oral communication in English.
Teaching methods
The course will be delivered in English. Throughout the course, the active role of the students will be enhanced and they will be able to put into practice the proposed theoretical and methodological approaches through opportunities for discussion and also through the use of videos and simulations.
- 20 two-hour lessons held in presence, with a first part in frontal mode (DE) and a second part aimed at involving students in an interactive way (DI).
- 1 two-hour lesson delivered remotely.
Assessment methods
Oral exam: it will be a discussion based on the course texts and on the topics covered in class. During the oral exam, it is also possible to discuss a written work previously agreed upon with the professor and developed starting from the theoretical contents indicated in the bibliography.
Textbooks and Reading Materials
Borum, R. (2012), "Radicalization into Violent Extremism I: A Review of Social Science Theories." Journal of Strategic Security 4, 4: 7-36.
Borum, R. (2012), "Radicalization into Violent Extremism II: A Review of Conceptual Models and Empirical Research." Journal of Strategic Security 4, 4: 37-62.
Ceretti, A., Natali, L. (2020) Exploring Violent Cosmologies From a “Radical Interactionist” Approach. Critical Criminology. (open access: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10612-020-09536-y )
Ilan J, Sandberg S. (2019) How ‘gangsters’ become jihadists: Bourdieu, criminology and the crime–terrorism nexus. European Journal of Criminology, 16(3): 278-294. doi:10.1177/1477370819828936
McCulloch, J., Walklate, S., Maher, J. et al. (2019) Lone Wolf Terrorism Through a Gendered Lens: Men Turning Violent or Violent Men Behaving Violently? Critical Criminology 27, 437–450
Presser, L., Sandberg, S. (2019) Narrative Criminology as Critical Criminology. Critical Criminology 27, 131–143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-019-09437-9
Ravagnani. L. (2021) Rehabilitation work with convicted offenders outside of prison: https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/default/files/what-we-do/networks/radicalisation_awareness_network/ran-papers/docs/ran_ad-hoc_rehab_outside_of_prison_20201120_en.pdf
Ruiz Yamuza, FG., Ravagnani, L. (2018) Countering Islamic radicalisation in prison through restorative justice based programmes. ERA Forum 18, 611–626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12027-018-0515-6
Sandberg, S, and Colvin, S. (2020) ‘ISIS is not Islam’: Epistemic Injustice, Everyday Religion, and Young Muslims’ Narrative Resistance, The British Journal of Criminology, 60 (6): 1585–1605, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azaa035
Sandberg, S. and Andersen, J.C. (2019), Opposing violent extremism through counter-narratives: Four forms of narrative resistance, in Fleetwood, J., Presser, L., Sandberg, S., Ugelvik, T. (Eds.) The Emerald Handbook of Narrative Criminology. Emerald Publishing.
Silke, A., & Veldhuis, T. (2017). Countering Violent Extremism in Prisons: A Review of Key Recent Research and Critical Research Gaps. Perspectives on Terrorism, 11(5), 2-11.
Sunde, H.M., Ilan, J., Sandberg, S. (2020). A cultural criminology of “new” jihad: Insights from propaganda magazines. Crime, Media, Culture. doi:10.1177/1741659020915509
Wibisono, S., Louis, W. R., & Jetten, J. (2019). A Multidimensional Analysis of Religious Extremism. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 2560. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02560
Sustainable Development Goals
Staff
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Lorenzo Natali
