War on Terrorism, Essay Example

The sociological perspective of war and terrorism has been examined by several authors. Hudson (1999) did not only examine terrorism from a psychological and political aspect, but also revealed the terrorist group dynamics. One of the findings that the author published in his study is that in countries where racial and cultural radicalism is present, several group dynamics can be observed. Groups provide a sense of belonging, self-importance and a full belief system. Based on this analysis of terrorist groups, it is evident that a military attack on terrorism is pointless, cannot create real results. Military intervention, just like the one in Afghanistan and recently in Syria does not stop the spreading of ideologies.

Chambliss and Eglitis (2013, p. 396) state that there are several connections on different levels between society and war. The authors conclude that “conflict between ethnic and religious groups, states, and other social entities has a long history”. (Chambliss & Eglitis, 2013, p. 397). The war on terror can be viewed from a functionalist perspective, but the goal is not to gain authority. The recent drone campaigns targeting extremist military groups are aiming to eliminate the organizations. Still, terrorist attacks happen, and without understanding the motives of the society in the given country. That is why the global West is trying to increase its social and cultural influence in the global East. According to the conflict perspective on war (Chambliss and Eglitis, 2013, p. 399), some groups should benefit from war. The benefits, however, are not clearly visible in the war on terror: threat has not been significantly reduced in the global West, while countries targeted only experienced destruction and stigmatization without real support.

Reviewing the above statements and analysis, it is clear that the “War on Terror” has not been a success for America international organizations.

References

Chambliss, W., Eglitis, D. (2013) Discover Sociology. Chapter 16. War, Terror and Genocide. Sage Publications.

Hudson, R. (1999) The sociology and psychology of terrorism: who becomes a terrorist and why? The Library of Congress. Federal Research Division.