UA Professors Provide Context, Perspective on Terrorism
Recent events in Paris have prompted a number of questions, including these: Why has global terrorism advanced so quickly? What part does religion play? And what actions should the United States and other countries take against the threat?
University of Arizona associate professors Alex Braithwaite and Faten Ghosn of the School of Government and Public Policy, which is housed in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, offer some context and perspective on terrorism in light of the gun and bomb attacks on Nov. 13.
Braithwaite’s research and teaching focus on the causes and contagion of violent and nonviolent conflict, including terrorism, protests, riots, civil war and international wars. His research shows that incidents of violent political conflict cluster in space and time, and that openings in political opportunity structures encourage the contagion of violence between groups and across national borders.
Ghosn’s interests focus on the interaction of adversaries and how such actors handle their disagreements. A common theme is the importance of the choice of strategy. Her articles have appeared in Conflict Management and Peace Science, International Negotiation, International Studies Quarterly and Middle East Journal. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the American University of Beirut.