The European Union's Fight Against Terrorism

This book presents a discourse analysis of the European Union's counter-terrorism policy and explores the societal effects of the 'fight against terrorism' Since its re-emergence in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the 'fight against terrorism' has come to represent a priority area of action for the European Union. This book analyses the language of the EU's response to the terrorist threat, drawing on interpretive approaches to international relations in order to develop a discourse theory of identity and counter-terrorism policy. The book shows how the 'fight against terrorism' structures the EU response through the prism of identity, calling attention to the various 'others' that form the target of counter-terrorism policy. Through an extensive analysis of the wider societal impact of the EU's 'fight against terrorism' discourse, the author reveals the various ways in which EU counter-terrorism policy is contributing to the 'securitisation' of social and political life within Europe. An accessible structure ensures that the book will be an excellent text for students seeking to improve their understanding of discourse analysis. But it will also be of interest to academics, area-studies experts and policy makers who want to better understand the emergence and impact of EU counter-terrorism policy, as well as those studying international relations, security studies, terrorism studies or EU Politics. This book examines the language of the European Union's response to the threat of terrorism. Since its re-emergence in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the 'fight against terrorism' has come to represent a priority area of action for the EU. Drawing on interpretive approaches to international relations, the book outlines a discourse theory of identity and counter-terrorism policy, showing how the 'fight against terrorism' structures the EU's response through the prism of identity, drawing our attention to the various 'others' that have come to form the target of counter-terrorism policy. Through an extensive analysis of the wider societal impact of the 'fight against terrorism' discourse, the various ways in which this policy is contributing to the 'securitisation' of social and political life within Europe are revealed.

Pagina's: 212, Editie: Reprint, Paperback, Manchester University Press