Research into terrorism has traditionally examined the relationship between
terrorist activity and a variety of economic, religious, and geopolitical issues
associated with modernity and globalisation, in an attempt to understand and
explain this global phenomenon. This paper extends this inquiry further by
exploring the extent to which the construction of Self and Other dichotomies are
used as instruments for domination, self actualisation, and mobilisation within
discourses of terrorism and security.
The paper proposes that issues of Otherness are a vital and often missing
component in understanding terrorism and counter-terrorist activity. In doing
so, it argues that the construction of ‘polarised collective identities’ which
accentuate perceived (cultural) differences between terrorists and their
intended targets (and their respective host nations) play an integral role in
shaping how we identify and respond to emerging threats. Furthermore, it is
suggested that the construction and maintenance of these identities not only has
a tendency to homogenise populations, but also creates antagonistic and
conflict-orientated relationships resistant to resolution.
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