Abstract
This study explores the role of relative deprivation theory in explaining the phenomenon of violent religious extremism in Morocco. The theory posits that a collective sense of deprivation, particularly when unaddressed by formal institutions, can create fertile ground for the emergence of extremist currents or contribute to their persistence. Religious sociology adds another dimension, suggesting that the nature and intensity of extremism are influenced by the type of deprivation experienced by individuals. The study focuses on how religious currents, both violent and non-violent, address the issue of deprivation among their followers. In Morocco, where economic hardship is a significant factor, religious movements sometimes offer non-violent alternatives to revolutionary solutions perceived as responses to economic deprivation. Conversely, a sense of moral inferiority may lead individuals to cling more strongly to traditional religious practices rather than adopt extremism. The study employs a dual methodology: first, analyzing literature on relative deprivation theory and religious extremism, and second, using field data from a sample of individuals previously convicted of terrorism-related charges and later released. Articles and interrogation reports are analyzed to understand how these individuals perceive their deprivation and how religious currents address these perceptions. The central research question is: How does relative deprivation theory contribute to explaining violent religious extremism in Morocco? The findings suggest that religious currents, both violent and non-violent, offer solutions to deprivation rooted in collective meanings and narratives rather than purely rational economic solutions.
Presenters
Aboullouz AbdelhkimProfessor of Political Sociology, Public Law, Ibn Zohr University, Aït Melloul, Morocco
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Community and Socialization
KEYWORDS
EXTREMISM,TERRORISM,DEPRIVATION,SALAFISM,PREACHING,INCLUSION,VIOLENCE
