An analysis of the Islamist radicalisation process: individual patterns, experts and institutional perspectives and media narrative in the Italian context

The concept of terrorism entails very different representations and meanings put forward by diverse actors as a result of complex socio-political dynamics. The efforts to understand and explain terrorism and its root-causes have increased exponentially after the attacks towards the Twin Towers in 2001. This research project fits into the broader literature on terrorism and builds on multiple disciplinary perspectives and, in particular, political sciences, sociology and anthropology. The data collected shed light on how Islamist radicalization occur in Italy through the analysis of its conceptualization and narration by a heterogeneous group of stakeholders dealing with the phenomenon in their professional endeavours. Three main types of data have been taken into consideration for the purpose of this study: the reports by the National Anti-mafia and Anti-terrorism Directorate (DNA) from 2001 to 2017; in-depth interviews with representatives belonging to different institutional and professional sectors; press articles reporting the news of deportation of suspected terrorists published either on national or local newspapers between 2015 and 2017. Through the data gathered from these various sources, a comprehensive description of the radicalisation process has been developed combining multiple interpretations and viewpoints. Radicalization in Italy mainly concerns young male adults made vulnerable by their emotional fragility and distress, including identity troubles, frustrations and alienation and primarily recruited on the internet and in prisons. In the process of social co-construction of the phenomenon, relevant institutions, experts and professionals portray the process of radicalisation as an emergency threat in which terrorists and radicalized individuals are represented as the “others”.