Legitimation through Collectivization: Al Qaeda and US Discourses on the Use of Force

Bárbara Motta and David P. Succi Junior

Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 2024, vol. 47, issue 3, 301-320

Abstract: Discursive struggles for legitimation are a constitutive feature of the politically guided deployment of force. This dynamic of political communication frequently entails engaging with multiple audiences, such as international, local, and intra-group. As it compels actors to diversify their narrative strategies, it often results in conflicting statements. We argue that a particular discursive strategy, which we call the collectivization of the self, provides actors with an instrument to address different audiences with a singular narrative. We present this strategy through a content and qualitative analysis of Bin Laden’s statements on terrorist actions and Bush’s speeches on the intervention in Afghanistan.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1080/1057610X.2021.1961673

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