Rethinking Terrorism Studies — Lee Jarvis

This episode of The IR thinker explores Critical Terrorism Studies with Professor Lee Jarvis, examining how the field interrogates power relations, knowledge production and ethical responsibility in research on political violence. The conversation contrasts CTS with more traditional approaches, looks at media representations, state practices and technological change, and highlights how CTS can be used to study radicalisation, non state actors and security policy.Lee JarvisLee Jarvis is Professor of International Politics at Loughborough University, England. His research focuses on how security challenges such as terrorism, radicalisation, cyber threats and pandemics are constructed and communicated, with particular attention to counter terrorism politics, critical security studies and social memories of terrorism. He has published widely on these themes and serves as co editor of the journal Critical Studies on Terrorism.Publications:Three waves of critical terrorism studies: agenda-setting, elaboration, problematisationThe Proscription or Listing of Terrorist Organisations: Understanding, Assessment, and International ComparisonsToward a Vernacular Security Studies: Origins, Interlocutors, Contributions, and ChallengesCritical terrorism studies and the far-right: beyond problems and solutions?Content00:00 - Introduction02:08 - Overview of Critical Terrorism Studies (CTS) and Its Main Objectives04:18 - Defining ‘Critical’ in Critical Terrorism Studies06:50 - Conceptualising Terrorism in CTS10:05 - Comparison: Traditional Terrorism Studies vs. Critical Terrorism Studies11:38 - Examining the Role of Power in CTS14:10 - Emphasis on Reflexivity in CTS16:57 - Notable Shortcomings and Criticisms of CTS19:20 - Expanding CTS Beyond Western Scholarship21:29 - Focus on Non-State Actors in CTS27:09 - Media Representation of Terrorism in CTS32:26 - Ethical Considerations in CTS Research35:00 - State Practices and Their Impact in CTS39:53 - Balancing Human Rights and National Security in CTS43:41 - The Influence of Technological Developments on CTS48:21 - Embracing an Interdisciplinary Approach in CTS51:48 - Addressing Biases in Traditional Terrorism Studies Through CTS54:02 - CTS Analytical Framework for Studying Radicalisation57:48 - Utilising Prediction Analysis in CTS01:01:00 - Debunking Myths Associated with CTS01:03:23 - Potential Research Areas Using CTS PerspectivesFollow & Further ResourcesSubstack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/X: https://x.com/irthinker_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.