This thesis sets out to consider the discourses which exist on responses to terrorism in the context of the European Union and the United Kingdom. In recent years terrorism has been perceived to be a growing threat and the response strategies directed towards it have become increasingly important. The European Union has, since September 11th 2001, actively developed a response strategy to terrorism. It is possible to identify the official discourses which exist in this area; however, the discourses held by the wider population are less obvious. This thesis aims to explore these hidden discourses further. In particular it is specifically concerned with public perceptions of the response strategies to terrorism and aims to uncover the ways in which these response strategies are constructed beyond the official discourse. This thesis utilises Q methodology in order to examine these discourses. Q methodology is an innovative tool for the exploration of subjectivity. It has rarely been applied to the topic of terrorism and this thesis represents the first time it has been utilised to consider the problem of responses to terrorism in the context of the European Union. Therefore, a further aim of this thesis is to consider the appropriateness of Q methodology as a tool for use in the discipline of International Relations.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:558330 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Sowerby, Catherine Ann |
| Publisher | Keele University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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