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Friction: How Radicalization Happens to Them and Us
This accessible book identifies twelve mechanisms of political radicalization that can move individuals, groups, and the masses to increased sympathy and support for political violence. Terrorism is an extreme form of radicalization, and the book describes pathways to terrorism to demonstrate the twelve mechanisms at work.
Written by two psychologists who are acknowledged radicalization experts and consultants to the Department of Homeland Security, Friction draws heavily on case histories. The case material is wide-ranging - drawn from Russia in the late 1800s, the US in the 1970s, and the radical Islam encouraged by the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. Taken together, the twelve mechanisms show how unexceptional people are moved to exceptional violence in the conflict between states and non-state challengers. Captivating, and with psychological overtones, this timely book covers one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Written by two psychologists who are acknowledged radicalization experts and consultants to the Department of Homeland Security, Friction draws heavily on case histories. The case material is wide-ranging - drawn from Russia in the late 1800s, the US in the 1970s, and the radical Islam encouraged by the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. Taken together, the twelve mechanisms show how unexceptional people are moved to exceptional violence in the conflict between states and non-state challengers. Captivating, and with psychological overtones, this timely book covers one of the most pressing issues of our time.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 14, 2014
I got the impression, though I don't think it was ever explicitly stated, that the authors believe violence is an invalid form of political resistance. This bothered me somewhat - the assumption and more so that it wasn't stated or explored or justified.
Having said that, the authors do an excellent job analyzing and illustrating with examples the ways in which people become radicalized to the point they are willing to commit violent acts, whether assassinations or terrorism. They effectively combine current psychological theory, experimental results, and historical anecdote. The narrative is readable and engaging.
Given how often we see politically motivated violence in the media, and how shocked onlookers usually first ponder, "Why?" this book offers insights relevant to many.
[One other quibble, also on an assumption by the authors. They dismissed the notion that mentally ill people could organize the kinds of violence they discussed. But there are many brilliant and troubled minds. Why not simply make the point that terrorism usually comes not from people with mental illnesses without completely dismissing the possibility?]
Having said that, the authors do an excellent job analyzing and illustrating with examples the ways in which people become radicalized to the point they are willing to commit violent acts, whether assassinations or terrorism. They effectively combine current psychological theory, experimental results, and historical anecdote. The narrative is readable and engaging.
Given how often we see politically motivated violence in the media, and how shocked onlookers usually first ponder, "Why?" this book offers insights relevant to many.
[One other quibble, also on an assumption by the authors. They dismissed the notion that mentally ill people could organize the kinds of violence they discussed. But there are many brilliant and troubled minds. Why not simply make the point that terrorism usually comes not from people with mental illnesses without completely dismissing the possibility?]
February 20, 2017
Rarely if ever have I seen a book make better use of case studies. One of the authors' main points is that terrorists are not simply crazy, but that they follow the same psychological forces as other normal people. By briefly tracing the process of radicalization in several individuals and groups, mostly from czarist Russia and modern Middle East but from other times and places as well, the authors illustrate twelve different radicalization processes in the lives of sane and not atypical people. They use these biographies to lead into the supporting psychological and sociological research. They have very little on policy recommendations (in short: terrorism is a political problem, so treat it as one), but chapter 11 on jujitsu politics is worth reading on its own just to show that much of our reaction to terrorism is exactly the reaction that the terrorists are aiming for.
August 20, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
FRICTION: HOW RADICALIZATION HAPPENS TO THEM AND US
By Clark McCauley, and Sophia Moskalenko
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 978-0-19-974743-6
www.oup.com
TERRORISTS: WHY DO THEY DO IT?
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
An appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers
What sets ordinary people, mild mannered students, for example, on the path to radicalization and ultimately to terrorism? How does one find an answer? Or is there an answer? As the authors Clark McCauley and Sophia Moskalenko have rather challengingly put it:
‘Focusing on them (the terrorists and their motivations) is not enough. Focusing on us is not enough…. focusing on the dynamics of conflict over time is essential’ -- which is exactly what this book and the authors set out to do with this intellectually sparkling statement of modern radicalism.
Both psychologists and consultants to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the authors are acknowledged experts in this field. Extrapolating from their extensive research, they identify 12 mechanisms of radicalisation through which, they assert, unexceptional people are moved to perpetrate exceptional violence. Ideology, they claim, is not necessarily a prime factor in this process. It emerges as more of an excuse for violence, rather than its root cause.
The wealth of specific case material provided in the book touches on a number of terrorist outrages and some obscure ones as well, from the 9/11 atrocities in New York to the Bali bombings, to the July 7 bombings in London. The authors’ wide ranging analysis of terrorism goes back to imperial Russia in the late 1800s illustrated by some rather fascinating case histories of individual terrorists.
An interesting aspect of the book is that personal experiences of individuals are examined alongside the dynamics of groups, from which most terrorism seems to emanate. ’Lone wolf’ terrorism -- from the alienated individual -- is the exception here, although individual terrorists apparently acting alone present a growing problem.
There’s a detailed chapter on the late Osama Bin Laden which traces his ‘trajectory’ into terrorism from shy gangly youth from a privileged background, to the most sought after international public enemy of our time. Published by the OUP in 2011, the book is certainly topical, but reflecting on how sudden events can suddenly change situations (and perhaps theories), Bin Laden is, as we write, no more. Now that his many thousands of victims and their grieving survivors have achieved the grim satisfaction of ‘closure’ and the landscape of international terrorism has been shifted, a revised and updated edition of this thoughtful and analytical study would be welcomed.
In all, ‘Friction’ is a riveting read, especially for social scientists and criminologists, not to mention lawyers -- as well as the general reader. Those wishing to do more research into this vexed subject will appreciate the useful bibliographies in the ‘Looking Further’ sections at the end of each chapter: probably a good investment on why they do it and what we can do about it!
FRICTION: HOW RADICALIZATION HAPPENS TO THEM AND US
By Clark McCauley, and Sophia Moskalenko
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 978-0-19-974743-6
www.oup.com
TERRORISTS: WHY DO THEY DO IT?
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
An appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers
What sets ordinary people, mild mannered students, for example, on the path to radicalization and ultimately to terrorism? How does one find an answer? Or is there an answer? As the authors Clark McCauley and Sophia Moskalenko have rather challengingly put it:
‘Focusing on them (the terrorists and their motivations) is not enough. Focusing on us is not enough…. focusing on the dynamics of conflict over time is essential’ -- which is exactly what this book and the authors set out to do with this intellectually sparkling statement of modern radicalism.
Both psychologists and consultants to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the authors are acknowledged experts in this field. Extrapolating from their extensive research, they identify 12 mechanisms of radicalisation through which, they assert, unexceptional people are moved to perpetrate exceptional violence. Ideology, they claim, is not necessarily a prime factor in this process. It emerges as more of an excuse for violence, rather than its root cause.
The wealth of specific case material provided in the book touches on a number of terrorist outrages and some obscure ones as well, from the 9/11 atrocities in New York to the Bali bombings, to the July 7 bombings in London. The authors’ wide ranging analysis of terrorism goes back to imperial Russia in the late 1800s illustrated by some rather fascinating case histories of individual terrorists.
An interesting aspect of the book is that personal experiences of individuals are examined alongside the dynamics of groups, from which most terrorism seems to emanate. ’Lone wolf’ terrorism -- from the alienated individual -- is the exception here, although individual terrorists apparently acting alone present a growing problem.
There’s a detailed chapter on the late Osama Bin Laden which traces his ‘trajectory’ into terrorism from shy gangly youth from a privileged background, to the most sought after international public enemy of our time. Published by the OUP in 2011, the book is certainly topical, but reflecting on how sudden events can suddenly change situations (and perhaps theories), Bin Laden is, as we write, no more. Now that his many thousands of victims and their grieving survivors have achieved the grim satisfaction of ‘closure’ and the landscape of international terrorism has been shifted, a revised and updated edition of this thoughtful and analytical study would be welcomed.
In all, ‘Friction’ is a riveting read, especially for social scientists and criminologists, not to mention lawyers -- as well as the general reader. Those wishing to do more research into this vexed subject will appreciate the useful bibliographies in the ‘Looking Further’ sections at the end of each chapter: probably a good investment on why they do it and what we can do about it!
September 11, 2020
MacCauley and Moskalenko are two of the most prominent academics in terrorism studies, primarily studying this dynamics of radicalization, deradicalization and terrroism disengagement. THis book outlines why indiviudals radicalize, basing their analysis their conceptualization of the 'pyramid to radicalization'. According to the authors, radicalization may occur on micro, meso and macro levels, each level posessing varous pathways. This book should be read by anyone who would like to understand radicalization and psychology.
March 25, 2016
The single most important book on the process of radicalisation I have read. It is the book that I wished I had written.
January 12, 2024
A highly readable and systematic treatment on how terrorists are moved to actually carrying out acts of violence. The authors show in a plausible and logical manner, backed by studies as to why some take that final step into actually carrying out attacks. They discuss the mechanics that push people along, covering individual radicalisation, group radicalisation and mass radicalisation, Also interesting is the section on lone-wolf attacks and how the mechanics seen in the various forms of radicalisation apply too to these lone-wolfs.
One interesting aspect was the section on jujitsu politics. This was something that I think most of us know, but they gave a name to it. Basically it is about the group doing something to provoke an over-reaction from the state and thus leading to increased sympathy for the former's cause.
Also something I thought effective was the authors using as an introduction to chapters in the first section, members of the Russian group Peopel's Will that represented the mechanisms of political radicalisation in question e.g. personal greivances, love, unfreezing. The use of unfamiliar characters (to most of us unfamiliar with Russian history) was deliberate in that being unfamiliar to us means that they would not evoke any emotional response (compared to the likes of Osama bin Laden) and thus can be 'easier to scrutinise, analyse, and perhaps even empathise' (p6). What they showed was that though the terrorists that assasinated Czar Alexander II and the ones that flew buildings on 9/11 could not be more different in terms of ideology, the way that both were radicalised eventually into carrying out attacks were very similar. And in that way, the authors also set from the beginning that they wanted to move away from ideology or pathological explanations as to why people carry out attacks. In that regard they were successful and convincing.
The authors do not make any kind of value judgements on the acts carried out, nor the causes that each of the groups that they cover espouses. However, I could not quite shake the feeling that they are against violence of all kinds, whether justified or not. The violence meted out by People's Will would be understandable to most of us, I think. The terrible conditions of the serfs and peasants in 19th century Russia were such that I could understand why the members of People's Will were moved to action, perhaps it is only so because it happened centuries ago. But perhaps that is the point - they are taking a clinical approach to understanding the mechanisms that move people to action here, not to advocate or condemn their choice of examples as that would detract from what they are doing in the book.
One interesting aspect was the section on jujitsu politics. This was something that I think most of us know, but they gave a name to it. Basically it is about the group doing something to provoke an over-reaction from the state and thus leading to increased sympathy for the former's cause.
Also something I thought effective was the authors using as an introduction to chapters in the first section, members of the Russian group Peopel's Will that represented the mechanisms of political radicalisation in question e.g. personal greivances, love, unfreezing. The use of unfamiliar characters (to most of us unfamiliar with Russian history) was deliberate in that being unfamiliar to us means that they would not evoke any emotional response (compared to the likes of Osama bin Laden) and thus can be 'easier to scrutinise, analyse, and perhaps even empathise' (p6). What they showed was that though the terrorists that assasinated Czar Alexander II and the ones that flew buildings on 9/11 could not be more different in terms of ideology, the way that both were radicalised eventually into carrying out attacks were very similar. And in that way, the authors also set from the beginning that they wanted to move away from ideology or pathological explanations as to why people carry out attacks. In that regard they were successful and convincing.
The authors do not make any kind of value judgements on the acts carried out, nor the causes that each of the groups that they cover espouses. However, I could not quite shake the feeling that they are against violence of all kinds, whether justified or not. The violence meted out by People's Will would be understandable to most of us, I think. The terrible conditions of the serfs and peasants in 19th century Russia were such that I could understand why the members of People's Will were moved to action, perhaps it is only so because it happened centuries ago. But perhaps that is the point - they are taking a clinical approach to understanding the mechanisms that move people to action here, not to advocate or condemn their choice of examples as that would detract from what they are doing in the book.
December 2, 2024
A really interesting read overall. It bounced back and forth between relatively modern and current terrorist attacks and groups, and juxtaposed them with Russian history to show the similarities.
The book does a good job at showing how things aren't just always black and white with terrorists and terrorist groups and how the motivations of people may seem simple, or that they may seem like they are just motivated by evil intentions, but there's actually so much more that goes into it.
The book does a good job at showing how things aren't just always black and white with terrorists and terrorist groups and how the motivations of people may seem simple, or that they may seem like they are just motivated by evil intentions, but there's actually so much more that goes into it.
November 18, 2018
Though it may be a bit too academic for some, Friction is a topical, thoroughly-researched examination of the complexity behind one of the modern world's greatest threats.
October 28, 2021
Interesting - had some angles I had not considered previously. Makes me conscious that de-radicalisation is really hard.
December 22, 2017
A book to be studied
This is a book worth reading twice; it is well written but complex. As a practitioner looking for information on how to prevent individuals in the US from radicalizing to violence I was looking for easy answers. No easy answers are provided (I write this line about easy answers a bit tongue in cheek as easy answers are rare when dealing with violence prevention), but it does bring together information I can use to better understand prevention. I’ll need to go back and study it, and use the information the authors and the referenced experts provide in its pages and footnotes, to inform my education and training efforts for communities.
This is a book worth reading twice; it is well written but complex. As a practitioner looking for information on how to prevent individuals in the US from radicalizing to violence I was looking for easy answers. No easy answers are provided (I write this line about easy answers a bit tongue in cheek as easy answers are rare when dealing with violence prevention), but it does bring together information I can use to better understand prevention. I’ll need to go back and study it, and use the information the authors and the referenced experts provide in its pages and footnotes, to inform my education and training efforts for communities.
September 4, 2016
My critique is titled, "The Path to Hell is Paved with Well Intentioned Academic Work."
It's 11 pages and can be read in full here: https://www.academia.edu/17560414/Sum....
It's pretty critical, but I believe it's accurate.
It's 11 pages and can be read in full here: https://www.academia.edu/17560414/Sum....
It's pretty critical, but I believe it's accurate.
Read
September 12, 2016Very helpful in trying to understand the mechanisms radicalization. The most important line is probably the last which talks about how radicalization can move both "them" and "us." All the more reason to vote against Trump this election.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews