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The Aftermath: Societal and Political Responses to Jihadist Terrorism
Terrorist attacks are a means to an end. Terrorists use violence to spread fear and garner attention in order to achieve political or ideological goals. Beyond the direct damage, the societal and political responses of different audiences largely determine the impact of an attack. How different audiences respond to terrorism remains understudied, which hampers our ability to understand the extent to which terrorism can be considered (un)successful.
This book provides an in-depth examination of responses to jihadist terrorism in four Belgium, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Introducing one of the most comprehensive qualitative datasets on the topic, Jeanine de Roy van Zuijdewijn explores the patterns of responses, raises questions about the efficacy of terrorism as a violent communication strategy, and formulates concrete recommendations for policymakers and professionals working to increase resilience and limit the impact of terrorism on societies. She shows how some responses from authorities and citizens were well-choreographed, with solidarity and unity leading the charge, while other attacks revealed deep polarization and division. Ultimately, the book zooms in on the process of how authorities and citizens attempted to place the attacks in a larger interpretive framework by way of using frames, rituals, and symbols directly after and around the first anniversary of the attacks.
Combining insights and concepts from various academic disciplines with an empirically driven approach, this book offers an in-depth look at the impact of terrorist attacks to understand how societies are dealing with one of the most pressing security threats of today.
This book provides an in-depth examination of responses to jihadist terrorism in four Belgium, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Introducing one of the most comprehensive qualitative datasets on the topic, Jeanine de Roy van Zuijdewijn explores the patterns of responses, raises questions about the efficacy of terrorism as a violent communication strategy, and formulates concrete recommendations for policymakers and professionals working to increase resilience and limit the impact of terrorism on societies. She shows how some responses from authorities and citizens were well-choreographed, with solidarity and unity leading the charge, while other attacks revealed deep polarization and division. Ultimately, the book zooms in on the process of how authorities and citizens attempted to place the attacks in a larger interpretive framework by way of using frames, rituals, and symbols directly after and around the first anniversary of the attacks.
Combining insights and concepts from various academic disciplines with an empirically driven approach, this book offers an in-depth look at the impact of terrorist attacks to understand how societies are dealing with one of the most pressing security threats of today.
312 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2025
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October 17, 2025Read the first chapter for free.
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September 30, 2026
Accessibly written, and really made me reflect on how political actors might oversee (or ignore) citizens’ ability to show restraint in other avenues of framing societal crises…. Though citizen framing feels to be more and more polarizing, it may just be a few very loud people advocating for strive… I wonder how such a study could be applied to other forms of crises
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