Bruce Allen Scharlau PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

"Li":;;
also provide an outlet for personal emotions of anger and frLlstration
wnich the ';:1.LOUp eh-plains as being located outside of tJ.'1e g-.coup in
society.56 nris is discussed later ~1 section tJ.'1ree ru1d in chapter five.
Violence can contribute to belief chru1ge in a hard, direct mru-iller,
which polarises the solutions to probl~Tts by making the problem appear
less cal~lex and difficult tJ.'1an lL is. The aura of v~olence's viability
ru1Q beauty lS increased by tL'1e heroic appeal of its advocates and
disciples. It also carries tJ.'1e Q.ru1ger of becoming an end in itself,
~lstead of a means to ru1 end. 57
Violence acts as ru1 intensifier of the belief conversion in
situations "Where it can fur Lher disrupt ru1d confront tJ.'1e old belief
systems witJ.'1 new eh-periences. n'1e meru1ings, for example, of old
institutions such as the police ru1d otJ.'1er authorities, come into
confrontation witJ.'1 tJ.'1e new experiences of police action and tJ.'1e ';:1.LOUp'S
sources of legi timacy and world view. Violence, ru1d other intensifying
factors, such as ~litiation processes (see chapter five) speed up tJ.'1e
conversion of the individual from one socialisation to another. 58 As
mentioned above, tJ.'1is led to ru1 eh-perience tJ.'1at confronted Klein's
belief system, and as discussed ~1 chapter five, welds groups together.
After tJ.'1e belief conversion and group membership, tJ.'1e new beliefs
serve personal psychological needs, ru1d become central to tJ.'1e life of
tJ.'1e person, such that previously ~llportru1t persons and ~-£titutions are
devalued and diSiTdssed. This waS evidenced by some of the members
leaving tJ.'1eir children, as was mentioned earlier. Part of this is tJ.'1e
result of individuals restrLlcturing and reorientating tJ.'1eir new life
witJ.'1 the ';:1.LOUp to take account of their past experiences of
their conversion. Naw tt"1e g-.coup, its issues, and otJ.'1er m~Ttbers def ine
tJ.'1e individual ru1d wno tJ.'1ey are. 59 Tnese form tJ.'1e person's new identity.
nre new belief 51-stem can offer steadfastness ru1d value that raises
individual self-este~TI ru1Q self-resilience so tJ.'1ey Cru1 work witJ.'1 and
tJ.'1rough a group wnich prcmotes iNnat tJ."1ey see as a worthy and noble
cause. n'1is can lead to very firm beliefs wnich carillot be cQTtprQTtised.
Alter!!ative views are disregarded. n'1e lack of caTipraTiise adds to their
56 Helm Stierlin, "FatTdlienterrorismus w1d oeffentlicher
Terrorismus", FainilienuyuatTdk 3 (1978), 170-198, 187.
57 Hacker, F. (1975), 79.
58 Berger, LUCKmarill, 164-5.
53 Jaeger, Boellinger, 154-6; Crenshaw (1988 I), 28; }Eurwell Taylor,
Helen K"y-an, "Fru1aticism, Political Suicide and Terrorism" T8.L-rorism 11
(2) 1988, 91-111, 91-~.