Invitation to Terror

Western culture lives on a diet of fear and panic and offers an invitation to be terrorised.

Western culture appears to feed of a diet of fear and panic and inadvertently offers its enemies and malcontents an invitation to be terrorized. The official reaction on an act of terror is driven by a narrative of fear that invites us to regard terrorism as incomprehensible, senseless and beyond meaning. Why do some – fortunately very few – individuals embark on the path of inflicting mass violence on their fellow citizens? Are they making a political statement or just a claim for recognition? How society responds to an act of terror will determine its impact.

Frank Furedi is a sociologist and social commentator. He was formerly Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent in Canterbury. His research is oriented towards the study of the workings of precautionary culture and risk aversion in Western societies. In his books he has explored controversies and panics over issues such as health, children, food, new technology and terrorism. He wrote a range of influential books that are also translated into Dutch:  ‘Culture of Fear’ (2002), ‘Where have All the Intellectuals Gone?’(2005), ‘Invitation to Terror: the Expanding Empire of the Unknown’ (2007).

Interesting links
Frank Furedi
Talk How Modern Society deals with Fear