Admission requirements
Only students of the MSc Crisis and Security Management, enrolled in the specialisation ‘Governance of Radicalism, Extremism and Terrorism’, can take this course.
Description
This course has two inter-related goals:
First, students will be introduced to key perspectives that have informed understandings of how patterns of extremist thinking develop, drawing from both social movement and social cognitive theories. Under the premise that extremism is as much about how a person thinks as what they think, extensive reference will be made to ongoing and past academic debates on the nature of social identity and intergroup relations, as well as the role of persuasive communication and emotions in belief systems characterised as extreme. The course will draw from empirical research on a range of problematic movements, from the radical to the extreme, with a view to better understanding the various manifestations of far-right extremism and terrorism across Europe and North America.
Second, the course will provide students with practical experience in collecting and managing data on radicalised people and acts of violent extremism, by (1) elaborating and implementing different data collection strategies; (2) using theoretical and conceptual insights to analyse cases; (3) interpreting and communicating relevant findings in a form accessible to a professional audience. Furthermore, by working in groups to create and manage a large-scale dataset, students will gain practical experience gathering open-source, biographical data. These are transferrable skills that students will be able to apply to a range of professional contexts.
By the end of the course, students are expected to understand the main conceptual, theoretical, and empirical underpinnings of how a person may come to adopt extremist beliefs, and they will be able to apply these insights to at least one country case. Emphasis will be placed on the appraisal and incorporation of robust empirical findings across different contexts, and the importance and associated challenges of applying these insights to policymaking.
Research skill: Data collection
Students learn and practice data collection skills in this course.
Course Objectives
Below you will find the learning objectives pertaining to this course, as well as the how these objectives are assessed through the course assignments.
Research Skills
1. Describe and appraise different data collection methods.
2. Perform data collection on open sources and examine the validity and reliability of this data.
3. Analyse and interpret this data at a descriptive level.
4. Relate these findings to the broader, academic literature and formulate policy-relevant conclusions.
Academic Skills
5. Understand key concepts, theories, and analytical approaches in the study of social cognition and social movements as they pertain to extremism.
6. Appraise the explanatory power of these frameworks by applying them to particular contexts.
Professional skills
7. Collaborate in a team to produce knowledge by confronting contrasting viewpoints and develop workable solutions.
8. Transfer academic knowledge to professional settings.
9. Self-evaluate and reflect after interactive in-class work and individual assignments.
Timetable
On the right side of programme front page of the studyguide you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Brightspace.
Mode of Instruction
The mode of instruction will be a combination of interactive lectures and activating workgroups (two sessions per week). In the lectures, students will learn the key principles of research, and the relevant concepts and methodologies. In the workgroups, students will practice research design and methods by applying the concepts, applying theories, and analysing empirical material. The workgroups will, amongst others, consist of in-class assignments, team performances, peer review and exercises and feature several compulsory formative (non-graded) assignments that will help the student prepare for the summative (graded) assignments.
Attendance is mandatory. Students are allowed to miss more than one session if there are special, demonstrable personal circumstances. Only the Board of Examiners, in consultation with the study advisors, can decide on such an exemption.
Total study load: 280h
contact hours: 42h (sessions)
self-study (reading, preparing lectures, assignments, etc.): 238h
In this 10 ECTS course, we will focus on the research skill assignment that is going to be part of your portfolio. Specific information on the portfolio assignment and the intended learning outcomes that are being acquired will be published in the syllabus of this course.
Assessment method
The course is comprised of three assignments.
Individual Assignment (15%): Extremist Event Research
Students will individually gather data on events.
15% of final grade
Resit not possible
Grade must be compensated in case of a fail (grade < 5.50)
Group Assignment (30%): Life Path of Radicalised Service Personnel
30% of final grade
Resit not possible
Grade must be compensated in case of a fail (grade < 5.50)
Final Individual Assignment (55%): Policy Memo
55% of final grade
Resit is possible
Grade must be 5.50 or higher to pass the course
Resit takes the same form
Additional, formative (non-graded) assignments are an obligatory part of the course.
The calculated overall course grade must be at least 5.50 to pass the course. If the calculated overall course grade is lower than 5.50, students are also permitted to re-sit the 55% Individual assignment.
In the case of written assessment methods, the examiner can always initiate a follow-up conversation with the student to establish whether the learning objectives have been met.
Attendance is mandatory. Students are allowed to miss more than one session if there are special, demonstrable personal circumstances. Only the Board of Examiners, in consultation with the study advisors, can decide on such an exemption.
Transitional arrangement
Please be aware that passed partial grades obtained in year 2025-2026 are no longer valid during year 2026-2027.
Reading list
A selection of books and articles, to be announced on Brightspace.
Registration
Register yourself via MyStudymap for each course, workgroup and exam (not all courses have workgroups and/or exams).
Do so on time, before the start of the course; some courses and workgroups have limited spaces. You can view your personal schedule in MyTimetable after logging in.
Registration for this course is possible from Wednesday 16 July 2025, 13:00 h
Leiden University uses Brightspace as its online learning management system. After enrolment for the course in MyStudymap you will be automatically enrolled in the Brightspace environment of this course.
More information on registration via MyStudymap can be found on this page.
Contact
All communication should be directed to course coordinator Dr. Sarah L Carthy.
Please send your email to [mailto:s.l.carthy@fgga.leidenuniv.nl]
Remarks
Please see the in-class office hours as your first point of call for questions and comments and use email only for particularly pressing issues.