THE PHENOMENON OF RADICALIZATION. CONCEPTUAL NUANCES AND SOCIOLOGICAL CONTEXTUALIZATION
THE PHENOMENON OF RADICALIZATION. CONCEPTUAL NUANCES AND SOCIOLOGICAL CONTEXTUALIZATION

Summary/Abstract: The onset of a new form of terrorist threat at the beginning of the 21st century, at a European level, characterized by the involvement of European citizens or residents in acts of terrorism has led to a paradigm shift in the way the fight for terrorism prevention is approached. From a counterattack strategy, the decision factors have turned towards a prevention-oriented strategy, based on early intervention policies. To define the transformation process of an individual leading a normal life into a person who resorts to acts of extreme violence against the community, the concept of “radicalization” was used. If, until 2001, this term was mainly used to indicate a shift towards a more radical policy, after 2004 it was more and more used among researchers, political dissidents, and mass-media, becoming a central element in the terrorism prevention policies. Recently introduced in the national legislation, the concept of “radicalization” for terrorist purposes is less known and debated by the scientific works in Romania; however, it represents a field of maximum importance and topicality not only for the European institutions, but also for the Member States of the European Union which are confronted with radicalization as a phenomenon. This article approaches the main aspects related to the conceptualization of the notion of “radicalization” for terrorist purposes, which are required for a better understanding of the phenomenon.

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