A groundbreaking investigation into why so many Islamic radicals are engineers The violent actions of a few extremists can alter the course of history, yet there persists a yawning gap between the potential impact of these individuals and what we understand about them. In Engineers of Jihad, Diego Gambetta and Steffen Hertog uncover two unexpected facts, which they imaginatively leverage to narrow that gap: they find that a disproportionate share of Islamist radicals come from an engineering background, and that Islamist and right-wing extremism have more in common than either does with left-wing extremism, in which engineers are absent while social scientists and humanities students are prominent. Searching for an explanation, they tackle four general questions about extremism: Under which socioeconomic conditions do people join extremist groups? Does the profile of extremists reflect how they self-select into extremism or how groups recruit them? Does ideology matter in sorting who joins which group? Lastly, is there a mindset susceptible to certain types of extremism? Using rigorous methods and several new datasets, they explain the link between educational discipline and type of radicalism by looking at two key factors: the social mobility (or lack thereof) for engineers in the Muslim world, and a particular mindset seeking order and hierarchy that is found more frequently among engineers. Engineers' presence in some extremist groups and not others, the authors argue, is a proxy for individual traits that may account for the much larger question of selective recruitment to radical activism. Opening up markedly new perspectives on the motivations of political violence, Engineers of Jihad yields unexpected answers about the nature and emergence of extremism.

Education and Extremisms addresses one of the most pressing questions facing societies today: how is education to respond to the challenge of extremism? It argues that the implementation of new teaching techniques, curricular reforms or top-down changes to education policy alone cannot solve the problem of extremism in educational establishments across the world. Instead, the authors of this thought-provoking volume argue that there is a need for those concerned with radicalisation to reconsider the relationship between instrumentalist ideologies shaping education and the multiple forms of extremisms that exist. Beginning with a detailed discussion of the complicated and contested nature of different forms of extremism, including extremism of both a religious and secular nature, the authors show that common assumptions in contemporary discourses on education and extremism are problematic. Chapters in the book provide a careful selection of pertinent and topical case studies, policy analysis and insightful critique of extremist discourses. Taken together, the chapters in the book make a powerful case for re-engaging with liberal education in order to foster values of individual and social enrichment, intellectual freedom, criticality, open-mindedness, flexibility and reflection as antidotes to extremist ideologies. Recognising recent criticisms of liberalism and liberal education, the authors argue for a new understanding of liberal education that is suitable for multicultural societies in a rapidly globalising world. This book is essential reading for academics, researchers and postgraduate students with an interest in religion, citizenship education, liberalism, secularism, counter-terrorism, social policy, Muslim education, youth studies and extremism. It is also relevant to teacher educators, teachers and policymakers.

The terrorist attacks in the USA and UK on 9/11 and 7/7, and subsequent media coverage, have resulted in a heightened awareness of extremists and terrorists. Should educators be exploring terrorism and extremism within their classrooms? If so, what should they be teaching, and how? Dianne Gereluk draws together the diverging opinions surrounding these debates, exploring and critiquing the justifications used for why these issues should be addressed in schools. She goes on to consider the ways in which educators should teach these topics, providing practical suggestions. Education, Extremism and Terrorism is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate education students looking to engage with the philosophical, sociological and political issues that are central to this debate.

Extremism is a huge concern across the world right now, fuelled by its links to terrorism and religious fundamentalism. This book explores the relationship of education to extremism and examines how education could counter its more dangerous forms. Formal education does little to prevent people joining extremist groups. Neither does it equip young people to analyze fundamentalism. We have seen attacks by suicide bombers who had their schooling in state systems, including in England. It is clear that more is needed than merely literacy. Global communications technologies mean that the way young people organize for either peace or terrorism lies mostly outside the school. But this does not mean that schools are without power. Lynn Davies proposes a very different educational strategy to the conventional tolerant multiculturalism that pertains in the west. The task--a challenging one--is to politicize young people without cementing uncritical acceptance of single truths. The chapters cover: the nature of extremism and myth-making; identity and belonging; religious belief and faith schools; justice and revenge; free speech; humor and satire; and critical thinking and critical (dis)respect In proposing an education which allows for alternatives and ambiguity, the book argues for the centrality of political education, media education and active citizenship education, as well as critical and comparative religious education, all firmly based on a universal value position around human rights. A strong civil society is one that is not afraid to critique but which has people with the skills and dispositions to engage in this without violence.

This book charts contemporary developments in counter-extremism within the UK education sector. Set against the background of the controversial Prevent strategy the book focuses on the expansion of counter‐extremism into education and draws on key legislation such as the Counter Terrorism and Security Act (2015) that imposed a statutory counter-extremism duty on public sector workers in the UK. The authors provide a wide-ranging critique that draws on theories of surveillance and power, an international review of counter‐extremism educational initiatives and a series of interviews with UK lecturers. Terrorism in the Classroom highlights the problems that occur when counter-extremism becomes an objective of education and a part of the curriculum, as well as the anxiety that is felt by educators who have been deputised into the role of counter-extremism practitioners. It will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines, including Criminology, International Relations, Politics and Education.

Could policies aimed at preventing radicalisation in Europe end up undermining the very social cohesion they aim to preserve? Since the mid-2000s, a growing number of European governments have broadened the scope of counter-terrorism, making it an issue that needs to be tackled by society as a whole. This report considers the effects of such policies in the education sector through a review of the existing literature on the subject. It begins by considering the issues facing educators and students and their families, and goes on to show how counter-radicalisation policies make contradictory demands on educators, asking them to build social cohesion and resilience while at the same time requiring them to employ a logic of suspicion in spotting potential radicals. The report suggests that this contradictory mission challenges key principles of 1. human rights and fundamental freedoms; 2. education for democratic citizenship, human rights education, competences for democratic culture and the objectives of building inclusive societies; and 3. the key objectives of counter-terrorism itself. The author therefore presents three main areas of reflexion, followed by recommendations for further research and action by the Council of Europe.