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Fear of Terrorism (Intro (cities targeted for their prominence (density of…
Fear of Terrorism
Intro
cities targeted for their prominence (density of dev., econ., social & symbolic importance)
densely populate urban centres, areas of significant econ. activity & iconic political & religious sites make for attractive locations
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terrorism's global networking implies diffusion & lack of well-established territorial centre-> 'where' is unknown
Factors
Media Influence
mass media is principal conduit of info. terrorists can gain max. potential of their actions & intentions to effect fundamental political change
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exposure to terrorism-related media increased substantially since widespread use of smartphones & social media-> news travel fast, raising greater public attention & fear
Identity
islamophobia: fear &/or hatred of islam, muslim or islamic culture. characterised by belief that all or most muslims are religious fanatics, have violent tendencies towards non-muslims & reject as directly opposed to islam such concepts such as equality, tolerance & democracy
fear of Muslims is erroneous but sometimes fuelled in part by policies e.g. Trump's travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries (Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen..)
ppl that share similar characteristics w/ terrorists may also be feared & subjected to hatred & hostility
persistent islamophobia can lead to anti-muslim attacks e.g. Christchurch March 2019's mass shooting in 2 mosques, killing 51 civilians
Location
according to Dr Daanish Mustafa, terrorism is understood to be violence that is directed towards wider audience (spreads message quicker), place destruction &/or place alienation (if place is 'terrorist hotspot', ppl avoid it)
more similar places of terror attacks are to place you are familiar w/, more fear (range in scales e.g. countries, spaces like cafes)
fear of physical harm from terrorism is emo & physical response aroused in presence of certain stimuli in proximate env. e.g. suspicious items, ppl
Strategies
Target Hardening (Crime, Terrorism)
Lighting
increase risk of detection, based on assumption that crime is covert activity & offenders will assess risk of being seen before committing crime
encourages ppl to notice suspicious activity, signals to potential offender higher chance of being identified
fear is greatest after dark so assumed that by reducing darkness, fear will also be reduced
e.g. installation of high intensity street lighting in 4 high crime areas in Washington DC (District of Columbia) in 1970s saw 30% reduction in crime exp. over a year
EV: ST effects. assumes that fear of crime may be reduced by modifying built env. but may ignore socio-economic factors leading to it
Surveillance & Policing
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e.g. in 2013, Britain reported to have CCTV cam for every 11 ppl, w/ 5.9M CCTV
EV: cost of preventing a crime by use of CCTV is approx. US$1000. might be limited in effectiveness on site, not peripheral areas
face-to-face contact btw security & police officers & citizens effective in reducing crime but used most visibly against disadvantaged minorities e.g. in Britain, black ppl 6.5x > likely to be stopped & searched by police than white ppl
natural surveillance involves efforts of ppl going about lives e.g. increasing pedestrian flows or enhancing sight lines by removing obstacles
EV: drives away incivility but may just displace them. if excessive, may create fortress mentality (paranoid feelings of being subjected to crime)
community policing is 'softer', by encouraging neighbours to watch out for each other thru Neighbourhood Watch, Citizen Patrol e.g. SG
involves measures to deter/mitigate effects of criminal/terrorist act. seek to influence offenders' decision-making processes by reducing attractiveness of targets while increasing likelihood of apprehension
main issue of deflection, which involves migration of crime/terror attack to somewhere else
Gated Community (Crime)
has surveillance systems, widespread privatisation of public space
retrofitted gates & barricades attempt to protect property & wall out nearby crimes, created to reduce access & deter outsiders-> residents gain control of neighbourhood
EV: fear persists w/ insecurities of "others" slipping in-> exclusivity (only rich can afford) which reinforces urban fear of anything/anyone diff.
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