Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T11:56:01.289Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The importance of cultural variables for explaining suicide terrorism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2014

C. Dominik Güss  and
Ma. Teresa Tuason
C. Dominik Güss
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224. dguess@unf.eduhttp://www.unf.edu/bio/N00174812/ Trimberg Research Academy – TRAc, Otto-Friedrich Universität Bamberg, 96047 Bamberg, Germany.
Ma. Teresa Tuason
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health (Clinical and Mental Health Counseling), University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224. ttuason@unf.eduhttp://www.unf.edu/bio/N00174682/
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Lankford criticizes the notion that suicide terrorists are “normal” and argues that they are suicidal. We have two misgivings about this. First, he puts sole focus on the personal side of suicidality and ignores the individual's context. Second, he fails to elaborate on the intent to harm others, which must also include the cultural, political, religious/ideological, and social-organizational factors of suicide terrorism.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 37 , Issue 4 , August 2014 , pp. 370 - 371
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edition (DSM-V). American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar
Ghosh, A. (2005) Ready to die. A young Iraqi explains why he plans to be a suicide bomber. Time, July 4, 2005.Google Scholar
Güss, C. D., Tuason, M. T. & Teixeira, V. (2007) A cultural-psychological theory of contemporary Islamic martyrdom. Journal of the Theory of Social Behaviour 37:415–45.Google Scholar
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) (2004) Report of the International Committee of the Red Cross (IRC) on the treatment by the coalition forces of prisoners of war and other protected persons by the Geneva Conventions in Iraq during arrest, internment and interrogation (February 2004). International Committee of the Red Cross Publication.Google Scholar
Lankford, A. (2013c) The myth of martyrdom: What really drives suicide bombers, rampage shooter, and other self-destructive killers. Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Levy-Barzilai, V. (2002) A near-death experience. Ha'aretz, June 20, 2002.Google Scholar