Item Details
Skip Navigation Links
   ActiveUsers:1672Hits:20898699Skip Navigation Links
Show My Basket
Contact Us
IDSA Web Site
Ask Us
Today's News
HelpExpand Help
Advanced search

In Basket
  Article   Article
 

ID144083
Title ProperDying for survival
Other Title Informationwhy militant organizations continue to conduct suicide attacks
LanguageENG
AuthorAcosta, Benjamin
Summary / Abstract (Note)Suicide attacks continue to plague a multitude of conflict zones. However, the scholarly literature on the phenomenon has yet to produce a theory that explains why militant organizations at different stages of development, facing dissimilar enemies, and situated in unique conflict environments adopt suicide attacks. Moreover, the suicide-attack phenomenon now presents an intriguing puzzle. While most militant organizations fail to achieve their core political ends or ‘outcome goals’, organizations that employ suicide attacks are even less likely to succeed. Still, organizations have adopted suicide attacks at increasing rates. Given their ineffectiveness in precipitating outcome-goal success, why do organizations continue to adopt suicide attacks? Like all organizations, militant organizations share two common aims: (1) to survive and (2) to achieve outcome goals. As martyrdom operations often fulfill the ideological or cultural expectations of certain identity groups, representative organizations may adopt suicide attacks to expand constituent support or enhance status within a particular political landscape. Further, organizations can conduct suicide attacks to signal ideological solidarity with fellow militant organizations. This article analyzes an original large-N dataset of militant organizations alongside an original database of over 5,000 suicide attacks, and evaluates numerous case examples. The results demonstrate that militant organizations across regions and over time have adopted suicide attacks in order to gain supporters, promote organizational longevity, and boost or preserve status.
`In' analytical NoteJournal of Peace Research Vol. 53, No.2; Mar 2016: p.180-196
Journal SourceJournal of Peace Research Vol: 53 No 2
Key WordsPolitical Islam ;  Suicide Attacks ;  Network Analysis ;  Militant Trends ;  Organizational Longevity


 
 
Media / Other Links  Full Text