War on TerrorProblem 15 War & Terrorism

Wan Ting | Pei Qi | Caleb | Mariah

Problem Analysis

▪ Explain war and terrorism using the three sociological theories

▪ Causes of war and terrorism

▪ Pursuing peace

Definition of War & Terrorism

▪ War - A state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state

▪ Terrorism - The use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.

Types of Terrorism

▪ Revolutionary Terrorism

▪ Repressive Terrorism

▪ State-sponsored Terrorism

▪ Criminal terrorism

▪ Weapons of mass destruction (WMDS)

Causes of Terrorism

▪ Rapid modernization.

▪ Large-scale racial or ethnic discrimination.

▪ The presence of a charismatic leader.

Causes of War

▪ Conflict over Land and Other Natural Resources

▪ Conflict over Values and Ideologies

▪ Racial and Ethnic Hostilities

▪ Revolution

Sociological Theories

Functionalism

▪ Increases employment▪ Activation of soldiers to go on war

▪ Some countries go on war because they require materials that they lack in their own country. ▪ E.g. US invasion in Afghanistan – discovery of $1 trillion wealth

of untapped minerals (essential to modern industries)

▪ Dysfunction:If a country were to lose a war, it will also affect the number of

manpower and resources lost as well. It will take years to rebuild a war-torn country. (damages

suffered)

Conflict-theory

▪ Dominance over natural resources ▪ E.g. Water Conflict – Columbia vs Nicaragua

▪ Dispute between these two countries due to the unfair rights of their maritime borders by a revolution.

▪ Dominance of a military machine▪ It happens when a country wants to acquire the greatest power

in the world by owning powerful weapons.▪ E.g. Nuclear Arms Race – one of the causes of the Cold War in

1945

Symbolic Interactionism

▪ The perceptions and experiences of people involved in war: soldiers, civilians, and others.

▪ The use of symbols to marshal support for war or protest against war.

▪ How concepts related to war and terrorism come to be defined in ways that advance the goals of various parties.

Proposed Solutions… (Terrorism)

▪ Education!!!▪ Understand the differences in cultures, religions,

beliefs and human behaviors▪ Think of the peace, freedom and equality of all

human beings, not just “my group of people”▪ Eliminate the root of terrorism

Proposed Solutions… (Terrorism)

▪ Establish surveillance and monitoring system on terrorism attack

▪ Improve protective system for citizens

Proposed Solutions… (War)

Pursuing Peace

▪ Deterrence

▪ High-technology defense

▪ Diplomacy & Disarmament

▪ Negotiation

▪ Growing interlocking interests among the nations

Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons.

Conclusion

▪ In the end, pursuing peace means ending poverty, hunger, war, and illiteracy and promoting social justice for all people.