What is it about?
This qualitative study explores the psychosocial pathways that led individuals in Kuwait to join ISIS and Al-Qaeda. Through in-depth interviews with incarcerated members of these groups, the research identifies five core, interconnected factors: religious identity development, personal connections, exposure to extremist propaganda, perceived obligation to defend Islam, and social marginalization. The findings show that radicalization is not driven by a single cause, but by a gradual process in which identity, social ties, and perceived injustice reinforce one another.
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Why is it important?
Empirical access: One of the few studies based on direct interviews with convicted members of ISIS and Al-Qaeda, addressing a major gap in terrorism research. Theoretical contribution: Provides qualitative support for prominent models of radicalization (e.g., Moghaddam’s staircase model and Wiktorowicz’s framework). Contextual insight: Demonstrates how local social conditions in Kuwait—such as marginalization, education, and identity struggles—shape pathways into extremism. Policy relevance: Highlights why counterterrorism efforts must address social integration, education, and identity development, not only ideology or security measures.
Perspectives
Terrorism is often discussed as if it were the product of irrationality or pathology. Listening directly to those involved reveals a different reality: radicalization unfolds through ordinary psychological processes—identity formation, social belonging, perceived injustice—embedded within specific cultural and societal contexts. Understanding these processes is essential if prevention efforts are to be effective rather than merely reactive.
Prof. Othman H Alkhadher
Kuwait University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Why People Join Terrorist Groups in Kuwait: A Qualitative Examination, Political Psychology, September 2019, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/pops.12622.
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