Michael King

Through my research, I seek to understand the process of “radicalization”, that is the psychological processes underlying an individual’s justification and motivation for terrorism.

Thus, my research is issue driven, and focuses on homegrown terrorism. In contrast to transnational terrorism, where people plot to attack a foreign country, homegrown terrorism is characterized by perpetrators who are born and raised in the very country they wish to attack. Radicalization leading to homegrown terrorism has drawn much attention in the past decade, since an increasing number of terrorist acts in Western countries have been attributed to such homegrown groups, particularly homegrown jihadists.

Jihadists worldwide argue that violence against the West is legitimate by citing Western oppression and imperialism, the war in Iraq, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the neglect of Palestine. Yet, on average, homegrown jihadists have not experienced Western belligerence. They have not been in direct conflict with Western forces. Most have never been to Afghanistan, Iraq, or Palestine. Clearly, the motivations of homegrown jihadists are not anchored in lived experiences. Rather, their motivations appear to arise from the shared identity that links them to those who are victimized by the West. To understand homegrown jihadists, therefore, is to understand how a vicarious threat –experienced through a shared identity– leads individuals to respond with the riskiest, most anti-normative of behaviors.

The vicarious sense of threat, experienced through shared identity, is the focus of my research.

Email: michael.king@mail.mcgill.ca

Media:

View interview on CTV News (27 July 2011) about the attacks in Norway.

View panel discussion about the US House of Representative committee hearing on the radicalization of American Muslims, on Rawal TV (3 April 2011).

Read article on Muslim Link (Ottawa-based online newspaper) about research presented at the “Promoting Peace and Preventing Youth Radicalization" conference (7 December 2010), organised by the Canadian Friends of Somalia.

View presentation (14 October 2010) at the Canadian Association for Security & Intelligence Studies international conference in Ottawa, televised on CPAC.

Listen to interview (3 September 2010) on Radio Canada International about the "Ottawa arrests".

Read quotes (27 Aug 2010) in Toronto Star article: Terror analysis: The dangers of dismissing the absurd.

Read quotes (25 Aug 2010) in National Post article: Radicalization in Canada top intelligence priority.

Read quotes (24 June 2010) in Toronto Star article: Terror trial ends but extremism still growing.

View interview (23 June 2010) with the Toronto Star regarding the "Toronto 18".

View presentation (30 October 2009) at the Canadian Association for Security & Intelligence Studies international conference in Ottawa, televised on CPAC.

Selected publications:

King, M. & Taylor, D. M. (2011). The radicalization of homegrown jihadists: A review of theoretical models and social-psychological evidence. Terrorism and Political Violence 23, 602-622. [view article]

King, M., Noor, H., & Taylor, D. M. (2011). Normative support for terrorism: The attitudes and beliefs of immediate relatives of Jema’ah Islamiyah members. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 34, 402-417. [view article]

Taylor, D. M., Wohl, M. J. A., King, M., & Etemadi, P. (2010). The psychology of violent conflict in failing states: A review of the scientific literature. Toronto: Defence Research & Development Canada. [download PDF]

Bartlett, J., Birdwell, J. & King, M. (2010). The edge of violence: A radical approach to extremism. London, UK: Demos.

Taylor, D. M., Caouette, J., Usborne, E., & King, M. (2010, in press). Aboriginal peoples are disadvantaged, but they were here first: A positioning analysis of this unique reality. In F. M. Moghaddam, & R. Harre (Eds.), Words of conflict, words of war: A positioning theory analysis of language and conflict in political processes. Praeger.

Taylor, D. M., King, M., & Usborne, E. (2010). Towards theoretical diversity in intergroup relations and communication: Who will challenge Social Identity Theory? In H. Giles, S. Reid, & J. Harwood (Eds.), The dynamics of intergroup communication, pp. 263-276. Peter Lang.

Bartlett, J. & King, M. (April 2009). License to kill. Prospect, 157, p.21-22.

King, M. (February, 2009). Psychological characteristics and simulation role selection. Research report on PaxSims, a blog devoted to the development and implementation of peace and conflict simulations for education and training purposes, edited by Rex Brynen and Gary Milante.

Taylor, D. M., Caouette, J., Usborne, E., & King, M. (2008). How disadvantaged group members position themselves: When they might appear to work against an improvement in status for their own group. In F. Moghaddam, R. Harré, & N. Lee (Eds.). Global conflict resolution through positioning analysis (Peace psychology series), pp.147-166. Springer.