Youth Radicalization: Website Analysis

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Youth RadicalizationWebsite Analysis

• Paul Baramadat
• and
• Scot Wortley

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The Kids TodayCause for Optimism

• More educated than previous generations.
• Vast majority pursue the traditional goals
  (school, job, family, etc.).
• This generation has high cultural capital could
  help Canada compete in the global economy.
• Overall crime rates has not risen
• Little evidence of widespread radicalization.

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The Kids TodayCause for Concern

• Increasing economic polarization.
• Increasing neighbourhood segregation.
• Some racial/ethnic groups falling behind.
• Social alienation/disengagement increasing among
  some racial/ethnic groups.
• Serious violence increasing among a small segment
  of the youth population (issue of street gangs).
• Potential for radicalization?

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Roots of Radicalization

• Importation Model Radical people and ideas are
  imported from other countries. Canada bears no
  responsibility.
• Strain Model Immigration and settlement is an
  extremely difficult process. Some immigrant
  groups (racial and religious minorities) suffer
  economic and social marginalization. These
  conditions create the social context for
  radicalization.

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Content Analysis of Religious WebsitesA Pilot
Project

• Considerable public concern that young peoples
  extensive use of the Internet may be a possible
  source of religious radicalization.
• Conducted a preliminary content analysis of major
  religious websites regularly accessed by Canadian
  youth.
• This analysis is designed to address two research
  questions 1) To what extent do religious
  websites contain radical or violent content? and
  2) Do the websites for some religious traditions
  contain more radical content than others.

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Website Classification

• Celebration Site Contains positive information
  that celebrates the religious tradition. Promotes
  both religious/social events. No discussion of
  controversial issues.
•  Complaint Site Level 1 Considerable space
  devoted to discussions about discrimination and
  bias. No calls for organization or activism.
• Complaint Site Level 2 Frames incidents of
  discrimination or bias as expressions of a broad
  Canadian hostility toward their group.

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Website Classification

• Complaint Site Level 3 Calls for lawful protest
  against discrimination and bias. Encourages
  peaceful protest and activism. 
• Complaint Site Level 4 Promotes activism and
  protest as with Level Three sites. However, also
  contains warnings or predictions that physical
  conflict will result if group grievances are not
  addressed.
• Complaint Site Level 5 Directly and explicitly
  promotes direct, aggressive action against
  Canadian institutions -- or at least condones or
  celebrates it and frames such action as necessary
  and virtuous/religiously sanctioned.

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Websites by Category(N181)
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Website Type, by Religion