RT Article
T1 How ‘gangsters’ become jihadists: Bourdieu, criminology and the crime–terrorism nexus
JF European journal of criminology
VO 16
IS 3
SP 278
OP 294
A1 Ilan, Jonathan
A2 Sandberg, Seveinung
LA English
YR 2019
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1665972548
AB A background in ‘ordinary’ crime, violence and drug use seems to characterize many European individuals recently involved in ISIS-related jihadi violence. With its long tradition of studying marginalized populations and street culture, criminology offers novel ways to explore these developments theoretically. In this article, we demonstrate how Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of capital, habitus and field allow for a nuanced analysis of how certain individuals move from street to politico-religious criminality. We show that ‘investments’ in street capital can be expended within the field of violent jihadism. We argue that an embodied street habitus supports continuities in attitudes and behaviours within different violent contexts, and furthermore that street social capital facilitates recruitment to violent jihadism. Finally, reflection is offered on resonances between street and jihadi fields. The article explains how continuities in lifestyle can exist between the European city and a Middle Eastern battleground.
K1 Jihadism
K1 Bourdieu, Pierre
K1 Street capital
K1 Street culture
K1 Terrorism
K1 Dschihadismus
DO 10.1177/1477370819828936