Meso-Level Approach to the Social Contexts of Radicalization and Violent Extremism in Tunisia
摘要
This chapter is based on the three case studies of Hammam Lif, Feriana and Sidi Abdelhamid which have in common high rates of underemployment, lack of political representation and poor access to social services. Macro-level research findings in Tunisia have already shown that territorial inequalities are at the heart of what can be described as the triangle of underdevelopment, economic and political grievances as well as regional disparities. Comparative analysis of the meso-level case studies in Tunisia shows strong links between macro-level and meso-level drivers as well as strong intersection with local social contexts, which in their turn have a great effect on individual paths (example: links between economic and psychological factors). The chapter concludes that Tunisia’s case studies’ findings emphasize the relevance of adopting an understanding of VE and radicalisation that takes into consideration the role of social contexts and the relationship between ideology and context. Intersecting macro and meso-level analysis helps grasp the need to move away from grand theories that produce standard models of explanation of the drivers of radicalisation towards producing a refined understanding of the phenomena at hand that takes into consideration the differentiated local contexts.