From Traitor to Zealot - Exploring the Phenomenon of Side-Switching in Extremism and Terrorism

Explore the world of radicalization through the stories of those who switched between extreme political or religious ideologies.

List of contents

Foreword; Preface; 1. Betraying the cause? Side-switching and violent extremism; 2. Nation, race and anti-semitism: switching to far-right extremism; 3. Joining the far-left; 4. Fighting on the path of Allah: joining Islamic extremism from the far-right and far-left; 5. Who are extremist side-switchers and what drives them? Towards a theory of motivations and defector lifecycles; 6, Breaking the cycle: learning how to improve counter-radicalization, counterterrorism and deradicalization programs; 7. Conclusions.

About the author

Daniel Koehler is the Founding Director of the German Institute of Radicalization and De-Radicalization Studies (GIRDS) and a leading expert on terrorism, violent extremism, radicalization, and deradicalization. He is member of the Editorial Board of the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism in The Hague and a Research Fellow at the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab of the American University in Washington, DC.

Summary

Why do some people switch from one extremist political or religious ideology to join the group they previously considered their greatest enemy? This book is the first study to explore the extraordinary stories of these side-switchers to understand how radicalization works and how extremist views can change.

Additional text

'Theoretically rich and storyline-driven, From Traitor to Zealot is an instant classic of the field. Koehler shines a bright light on a counter-intuitive phenomenon many are anecdotally aware of - extremists who switch sides - but the book will surprise many by outlining how common, complex and dramatical the process is.' Paul Gill, Professor of Security and Crime Science, University College London, UK

Product details

• Authors: Daniel Koehler, Koehler Daniel
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.11.2021
• EAN: 9781108842945
• ISBN: 978-1-108-84294-5
• No. of pages: 350
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Psychology > Theoretical psychology; Non-fiction book > Psychology, esoterics, spirituality, anthroposophy > Psychology: general, reference works; History, History: specific events & topics, HISTORY / General, PSYCHOLOGY / Social Psychology, POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Terrorism, Psychology, Politics & government, Political science & theory, Terrorism, armed struggle, Social, group or collective psychology, Politics and government, History: specific events and topics, Political science and theory