SOS-440: TERRORISM
Final Project
Students Please Note: This assignment must be submitted to turnitin.com.
Reference the “Turnitin Requirement” section of the course Syllabus or the link below for general instructions. Upload both your assignment and the originality report within the Final Project assignment link.
Using Turnitin for Assignments
During this course you will:
● immerse yourself in the study of terrorism
● familiarize yourself with the writings of noted scholars in the field of terrorism
● reflect on the various issues associated with terrorism
● learn and apply relevant theories associated with terrorism
● debate various aspects of terrorism with fellow classmates
● complete successive written activities that focus on a wide range of issues and topics in the field of terrorism
As a capstone to all of this activity you are required to produce a final project in the form of an essay of between 1,500–2,000 words in length (about 6–8 double-spaced pages). Your long journey through this course culminates with this challenging requirement, one that will enable you:
● to showcase your knowledge of the facts
● to apply this knowledge to analyze cases and processes related to terrorism
● to demonstrate your ability to critically integrate this knowledge of the cases with theory
Your Assignment:
Step 1: Selection of Cases
In your paper you will analyse the soundness of one terrorism-related assumption or hypothesis when applied to
three different types of cases:
1. the first representing ideological terrorism (e.g., Baader-Meinhof in Germany)
2. the second representing nationalist terrorism (e.g., the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam in Sri Lanka)
3. the third religious terrorism (e.g., the alleged Iranian state-sponsored terrorism)
Your first step in the production of your essay is to identify an initial selection of which cases in these three categories you might want to investigate.
As part of your Module 8 assignment, you must submit to your mentor:
● a list of particular cases you are considering using in your essay
● a list of assumptions or hypotheses that you want to test
● a list of sources you intend to use
Your mentor will advise you about the suitability of your choices and provide valuable feedback which will help put you on the right track.
Step 2: Writing and Submitting the Final Draft of your Essay
At the end of the semester you are required to submit the final draft of your essay. This essay is worth 40% of your grade for the course, so please read the following information carefully.
In your essay you must analyze each of the three cases approved by your mentor according to these four distinct requirements:
(A) Identify and describe the facts of each case separately, the individuals or groups involved, the perpetrators, declared objectives, the authorities, reaction, and the eventual outcome.
(B) Apply your understanding of the case studies to analyze the processes leading to each event/case, the circumstances surrounding the ways each event unfolded, and the causes responsible for the subsequent results. If appropriate, distinguish between facts and commonly held myths about these cases.
(C) Evaluate each of the three cases according to the same one assumption or hypothesis concerning causes of terrorism from the repertoire of theory you have acquired during this course.
(D) Discuss the usefulness of the selected assumption/hypothesis when applied to each of the three cases. Specifically, assess whether or not it is relevant and contributes to the analysis and understanding of each case.
Note that this final project requires you to investigate the soundness of one terrorism-related assumption or hypothesis when applied to your case studies (item C).
