This essay deals with a culture of fear in the West, which provides a perfect breeding ground for the fear of terrorism.
Terrorism is a global phenomenon and omnipresent in Western societies, such as the European Union or the United States. The goal of terrorism is to produce a climate of fear and to disrupt the social cohesion. Since the attacks on the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001, terrorism has been attracting more and more attention within Western society and their mass media. It gave rise to a universal awareness of vulnerability of the West (Beck, 2009, p. 14). After Islamic terrorist attacks on Germany and France in 2015 (Charlie Hebdo attack, Bataclan attack, Berlin attack), 44% of the people surveyed stated that terrorism was the greatest threat within the European Union, according to Eurobarometer 87 in the following spring (Eurobarometer, 2017). In the United States, the public concern about Islamic terrorism was even higher, half of the US population were worried about themselves or a family member becoming the victim of terrorism after the attacks (OWD, 2019). These surveys illustrate that terrorism is perceived by the Western public as a major threat to social life.
In this essay I will argue that we have established a culture of fear in the West, which provides a perfect breeding ground for the fear of terrorism. Terrorism in fact is dangerous, but my point is that the danger is massively exaggerated, and we fear the wrong things. I will deal with the culture of fear and how it influences the perception of risk in terms of terrorism. Furthermore, I argue that media and terror maintain a symbiotic relationship that benefits from each other and this leads to a reinforced distortion of perception in the public. The excessive coverage of terrorism in the mass media is disproportionate to the numbers of death and leads to a staged threat. To put it in the words of Ulrich Beck: “Whether it be the mass media broadcasting the images of bloodstained victims across the world, or American President Bush declaring war on terrorism, or NATO declaring a case of legitimate defence after 9/11: only when such reactions follow the deed does every terrorist’s dream of a meteoric rise from obscure petty criminality to the ‘number one enemy’, the ‘global danger’ – in short, to ‘terrorist world stardom’ – become a reality.” (Beck, 2009).
Table of Contents
1. Fear of Terrorism in Western Societies
Objectives & Core Topics
This essay aims to analyze the establishment of a "culture of fear" in Western societies and investigate how the media and political discourse interact to exaggerate the threat of terrorism. The work challenges the perception of risk by contrasting the disproportionate public fear and extensive media coverage with the statistical reality of terrorist incidents.
- The construction and politicization of a "culture of fear" in the West.
- The symbiotic, attention-driven relationship between mass media and terrorism.
- The discrepancy between perceived risk and objective statistical reality.
- The impact of fear on social cohesion and the erosion of civil liberties.
- The role of anticipation in defining the modern "War on Terror."
Excerpt from the Book
Fear of Terrorism in Western Societies
Terrorism is a global phenomenon and omnipresent in Western societies, such as the European Union or the United States. The goal of terrorism is to produce a climate of fear and to disrupt the social cohesion. Since the attacks on the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001, terrorism has been attracting more and more attention within Western society and their mass media. It gave rise to a universal awareness of vulnerability of the West (Beck, 2009, p. 14). After Islamic terrorist attacks on Germany and France in 2015 (Charlie Hebdo attack, Bataclan attack, Berlin attack), 44% of the people surveyed stated that terrorism was the greatest threat within the European Union, according to Eurobarometer 87 in the following spring (Eurobarometer, 2017). In the United States, the public concern about Islamic terrorism was even higher, half of the US population were worried about themselves or a family member becoming the victim of terrorism after the attacks (OWD, 2019). These surveys illustrate that terrorism is perceived by the Western public as a major threat to social life.
In this essay I will argue that we have established a culture of fear in the West, which provides a perfect breeding ground for the fear of terrorism. Terrorism in fact is dangerous, but my point is that the danger is massively exaggerated, and we fear the wrong things. I will deal with the culture of fear and how it influences the perception of risk in terms of terrorism. Furthermore, I argue that media and terror maintain a symbiotic relationship that benefits from each other and this leads to a reinforced distortion of perception in the public. The excessive coverage of terrorism in the mass media is disproportionate to the numbers of death and leads to a staged threat.
Summary of Chapters
1. Fear of Terrorism in Western Societies: This chapter introduces the prevalence of terrorism as a perceived major threat in the West, argues that this fear is disproportionately amplified, and establishes the foundational premise regarding the symbiotic role of media in constructing a culture of fear.
Keywords
Terrorism, Culture of Fear, Western Societies, Risk Assessment, Mass Media, Public Perception, 9/11, Security Measures, Asymmetrical Threat, Social Cohesion, Global Risk Society, Media Coverage, Political Fear.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines how Western societies have developed a disproportionate fear of terrorism, arguing that this phenomenon is fueled by a "culture of fear" and amplified by media coverage rather than objective statistical threats.
What are the primary themes explored in the text?
Key themes include the social construction of fear, the role of mass media in distorting risk perception, the impact of the "War on Terror," and the disconnect between public anxiety and actual statistical mortality rates.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to demonstrate that the fear of terrorism in the West is massively exaggerated and that this climate of fear—rather than the attacks themselves—poses a greater threat to core democratic values and freedom.
Which scientific approach does the author employ?
The author uses a analytical-discursive approach, synthesizing literature on risk theory (notably Ulrich Beck and Frank Furedi) and comparing it with empirical data on terrorist attacks and media coverage statistics.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body investigates definitions of terrorism, the evolution of the "culture of fear," the symbiotic relationship between terrorists and the media, and a data-driven comparison of terrorism fatalities against other common causes of death.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The work is defined by terms such as Culture of Fear, Risk Assessment, Media Distortion, Asymmetrical Threat, and Western Social Vulnerability.
How does the author define the relationship between media and terrorism?
The author argues that they maintain a symbiotic relationship where the media gains profit through attention-grabbing coverage, while terrorists utilize this media staging to amplify their perceived power and visibility.
Why does the author argue that current risk assessments have failed?
The author contends that society has become fixated on low-probability, high-impact events like terrorism, while ignoring common, high-probability risks, leading to the irrational adoption of measures that restrict civil liberties.
- Citar trabajo
- Anonym (Autor), 2021, Fear of Terrorism in Western Societies. An Essay, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/992193
