Constructing the illiberal citizen? Radicalisation prevention, counter-terrorism, and the media in the UK

Counter-terrorism and radicalisation prevention policies are not peripheral discourses and practices that affect only certain individuals and spheres, but should be understood as instruments that have serious implications for civil liberties and human rights (Donohue 2008; Jarvis & Lister 2015). These policies also have more subtle effects on the constitution of identities and the promotion of attitudes and behaviours within the wider population. My PhD research has generated new knowledge on how the conceptualisation of the terrorism threat and the practices and strategies to counter it have undergone substantial transformations over the last fifteen years in the UK.
Following the "7/7 bombings" in London in 2005, the threat to the nation's security started to be identified with "radicalised individuals", "home-grown extremists", and "risky" or "vulnerable" individuals (Elshimi 2017). The recent development of a counter-radicalisation agenda includes practices of mass-surveillance, de-radicalisation, and a growing call for public participation in counter-terrorism. My research has investigated this dramatic shift and its implications in different aspects of everyday life and citizens' experiences.
My research has shown the substantive transformation of popular and institutional conceptions of the terrorist threat in the UK by analysing official discourses, policies and media coverage, and mapping citizens' views and perceptions. Investigating the role of the media in the dissemination of new imaginaries of radicalisation and interviewing "ordinary" citizens has provided novel perspectives to understand how the general public largely assimilates these new discourses and practices. The study has made an original contribution to exploring the new roles assigned to citizens, and particularly to women, in national security and its grave implications. Thus, my research has provided valuable insights into how, far from being a marginal aspect of our everyday life, counter-terrorism should be understood as an influential instrument of government.
The study employed a mixed methodological approach comprising the analysis of official documents (such as counter-terrorism policies, parliamentary debates, and reports), media coverage, and counter-terrorism training directed at the broad public. This approach was complemented by social media analysis and one-to-one interviews with citizens whose knowledge about terrorism and counter-radicalisation was informed by media consumption. My doctoral research makes an original contribution to ongoing debates on national security practices in the context of the global "war on terror"; to an emerging body of international research on pre-emptive counter-terrorism; to critical security studies; and to media and gender studies.
During this Fellowship, I will contribute to the understanding of the complex impacts of counter-radicalisation strategies by disseminating my findings in three peer-reviewed articles in high-ranking journals and creating an international network of academic and social actors. In order to enhance our understanding and increase the social awareness of the problematic effects of the new national security practices, as well as to produce alternative solutions, the network will hold an international online symposium and produce a report to disseminate to wider audiences. I will also disseminate my work to non-academic audiences by writing two reports for organisations committed to civil liberties and human rights seeking to influence counter-radicalisation policies. This, together with a research visit to a leading research organisation on peace and conflict studies (the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, see Attach. 9) and additional training will help to establish me as a leading researcher in my field. I will also apply for funding to the ESRC's New Investigator scheme to advance my research on memory and peace-building processes in the Basque Country.