Date of Completion
2017
Document Type
Honors College Thesis
Department
Global and Regional Studies
Thesis Type
Honors College
First Advisor
Peter VonDoepp
Keywords
ISIS, Social Media, Recruitment, Globalization, Terrorism, Dabiq
Abstract
The Islamic State (IS) is a reminder that religious terrorism in the Middle East remains a threat. However, this organization has been unique in its ability to emerge so aggressively, recruit large numbers of fighters from abroad, and establish a semi-functioning political state. In this thesis, I will explore this unprecedented phenomenon, focusing especially on the ways that trends of modernization, globalization, and sacralization have shaped the movement. As part of this work, I will specifically consider IS’ use of social media to recruit members and disseminate information and how this new technology has operated in tandem with the aforementioned trends to frame IS as a unique terrorist organization.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Kernan, Erik R., "The Islamic State as a Unique Social Movement: Exploiting Social Media in an Era of Religious Revival" (2017). UVM Honors College Senior Theses. 154.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/hcoltheses/154