social key question

• The key question was:

  ”what makes people commit acts of terrorism against fellow human beings?”
• what is meant by terrorism?

  It is the use or threat of action to influence a government or to intimidate the public for a political or religious cause.

  For example, the Manchester bombings which was a suicide attack, 911 and the London bombing.
• Social identity theory

  Can explain how conflict is caused by categorisation and identification. Removing categorisation of people into groups would reduce hostility and conflict.
• Realistic conflict theory

  Explains how prejudice is caused by competition in groups. Removing competition between people and groups should reduce terrorist attacks.
• Agency theory

  Explains how people comply to others' morals, ignore their own, and believe responsibility is on someone else. Terrorist groups usually have a leader People may feel the need to obey.
• social identity theory evaluation:

  Shows how people identify with a group and see as better in groups than those out groups. this however cannot necessarily be applied to terrorist groups complex factors.
• Agency theory evaluation:

  It shows people obey with authority figures and commit atrocious act due to shift of responsibility. They do not act on their own free will. however it cannot be assumed the same results found in studies would apply to real-life terrorist groups.
• all three theories allow for a possible explanation and understanding of why terrorist acts are committed.