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Achieving Security by Suicide - A Way of Ensuring a Forever Jihad?

Hautaniemi Forsberg, Iris LU (2022) FKVK02 20221
Department of Political Science
Abstract
This thesis aims to analyze how identity and potential ontological insecurity are expressed in the Islamic State’s narrative and how this may explain the use of suicide attacks. This is done by analyzing the language in the Islamic State’s official magazines between 2014 to 2017 through a theoretical lens of ontological security. The theory of ontological security centers around the threat to an organization’s identity rather than a physical threat, which can lead to existential anxiety and result in irrational behavior. The study uses narrative analysis to structure the empirical material, which focuses on how story-telling shapes our understanding and meaning of the world we live in. Based on the theory of ontological security, four... (More)
This thesis aims to analyze how identity and potential ontological insecurity are expressed in the Islamic State’s narrative and how this may explain the use of suicide attacks. This is done by analyzing the language in the Islamic State’s official magazines between 2014 to 2017 through a theoretical lens of ontological security. The theory of ontological security centers around the threat to an organization’s identity rather than a physical threat, which can lead to existential anxiety and result in irrational behavior. The study uses narrative analysis to structure the empirical material, which focuses on how story-telling shapes our understanding and meaning of the world we live in. Based on the theory of ontological security, four themes are structuring the analysis: the construction of “the other” and “the self”, gender roles, religion as an identity, and chosen traumas and glories. The results show that the Islamic State’s ontological insecurity results from an increase in liberal views and thoughts that differ from Islam. To regain their ontological security, the organization creates an identity based on war and conflict at the expense of their physical security. This shows that suicide attacks are used to strengthen their identity and ontological security by creating a continuous conflict. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hautaniemi Forsberg, Iris LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
A narrative analysis of the Islamic State's perception of identity and security
course
FKVK02 20221
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Terrorism, The Islamic State, Identity, Suicide Attacks, Ontological Security, Narratives
language
English
id
9081114
date added to LUP
2022-07-03 09:12:31
date last changed
2022-07-03 09:12:31
@misc{9081114,
  abstract     = {{This thesis aims to analyze how identity and potential ontological insecurity are expressed in the Islamic State’s narrative and how this may explain the use of suicide attacks. This is done by analyzing the language in the Islamic State’s official magazines between 2014 to 2017 through a theoretical lens of ontological security. The theory of ontological security centers around the threat to an organization’s identity rather than a physical threat, which can lead to existential anxiety and result in irrational behavior. The study uses narrative analysis to structure the empirical material, which focuses on how story-telling shapes our understanding and meaning of the world we live in. Based on the theory of ontological security, four themes are structuring the analysis: the construction of “the other” and “the self”, gender roles, religion as an identity, and chosen traumas and glories. The results show that the Islamic State’s ontological insecurity results from an increase in liberal views and thoughts that differ from Islam. To regain their ontological security, the organization creates an identity based on war and conflict at the expense of their physical security. This shows that suicide attacks are used to strengthen their identity and ontological security by creating a continuous conflict.}},
  author       = {{Hautaniemi Forsberg, Iris}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Achieving Security by Suicide - A Way of Ensuring a Forever Jihad?}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}