Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Chapter 17 Global Social Problems: War and Terrorism This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Definitions of War by Social Scientists War Organized, armed conflict between nations or distinct political factions  Declared or undeclared  Civil and guerilla wars  Covert operations War system Societies where war is a normal part of the society  Social institutions and cultural beliefs support the “war-like” environment

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Consequences of War Direct effect of war is loss of human life and serious physical/psychological effects Nuclear war would be most devastating  Weapons of Mass Destruction Nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological weapons that would kill thousands upon impact Patriotism is a function of war  Creates an external enemy for people to hate  A dysfunction is that it dehumanizes human beings

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Military Technology and Winning of Wars Military technology is a dominant factor  14th century – smaller armies defeated large ones by using newly discovered black powder  Today – Precision-guided munitions make global warfare possible Wars can be won on the basis of other factors, as the U.S. experience in Vietnam shows

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Map 17.1: U.S. Military Sales to Foreign Governments, 2002 (in Millions of Dollars) Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004c.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Global Terrorism Terrorism is the use of calculated, unlawful, physical force or threats of violence to achieve a political, religious, economic, or social objective Tactics include: Bombing Kidnapping Hostage taking Hijacking Assassination Extortion

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Three Types of Political Terrorism Revolutionary terrorism  Acts of violence against civilians carried out by the enemies of a government to bring about political change Repressive terrorism  Conducted by a government against it own citizens to protect political order State-sponsored terrorism  A government provides resources for terrorists to conduct activities in other nations

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Terrorism in the U.S. Foreign-Sponsored on US soil Terrorists attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 Domestic Sponsored “Home-grown” terrorism Oklahoma City bombing World Trade Center bombing Unabomber’s activities Terrorism in other Nations that affect US Citizens Tourist destinations and US embassies Information Terrorism Destructing computer systems  Computer hackers

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Biological Perspectives on War and Terrorism Humans, especially males, are innately violent  Predisposed to protect ourselves from our perceived enemies War and violence were functional because it ensured the “fit” survived  Problematic in today’s society No conclusive scientific evidence exists to support this view

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Psychological Perspectives on War and Terrorism It is easier to harm enemies when they are depersonalized People are more likely to act violently when they are in positions of power Some people can commit horrible atrocities through the process of doubling, or splitting oneself into two selves Society must emphasize peace, not glorify violent impulses to solve the war problem

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Functionalist Perspective on War Some functionalists focus on social disorganization and warfare Others see war as functional: Settles disputes Demonstrates that one nation has power over another Punishes Disseminates ideologies Stimulates the economy

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Conflict Perspective on War War contributes to the economic well- being of some people Nations use force to ensure compliance within and protection from outside Military has been a male institution; it is difficult to untangle masculinity from militarism

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Interactionist Perspective on War Social Construction of Masculinity The connection between manhood and militarism is created and recreated through gender socialization  Males learn to be dominant, powerful, violent, and aggressive from sports, the media, etc.