Scott Atran is an anthropologist who experiments on ways scientists and ordinary people categorize and reason about nature, on the cognitive and evolutionary psychology of religion, and on limits of rational choice in political and cultural conflict.…
In a podcast episode for RANE Insights, Scott Atran, adjunct research professor at the Ford School, explored the history and future dynamics of how organizations approach geopolitical risk through the lens of security and intelligence.
Atran...
Islamist terrorist organizations are often described as similar to other criminal organizations, like gangs. A new study, “Willingness to sacrifice among convicted Islamist terrorists versus violent gang members and other criminals,” published by...
During the war in Afghanistan, America’s longest war, the Taliban suffered high casualties and territorial losses against a well-funded and well-armed opponent. Despite these circumstances, the Taliban endured the lengthy war, and ultimately emerged...
Stanford University named 16 Ford School faculty on their “Top 2% Scientists” list, representing the most-cited scientists with career and single-year impact in various disciplines. The faculty researchers join over 180,000 scientists...
"By failing to recognize limits on the ability to impose on other cultures values that have taken many years to attain gradually in its own culture, the United States and its partners will continue the unsound habit of approaching problems by...
“It was fairly under control because the public space didn’t allow for extremists to come out into the open back then. They were in the closet and had to hide,” Scott Atran said. “But that’s not the case now, (the FBI) lost the tread and allowed it...
In a new journal article, a team of scientists led by Scott Atran, an adjunct research professor at the University of Michigan’s Ford School and Institute for Social Research, reveals insights into the psychology of radicalization and terrorist...
The Social Science Bites podcast describes Scott Atran's research as sitting “at the intersection of violent acts and cognitive science.” Atran, an adjunct research professor at the Ford School, seeks to understand what motivates ‘devoted actors’ to...
Engaging with youth involved in or susceptible to violent extremism is key in helping the U.S. government understand—and combat—terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, according to a position paper, "Challenges in researching...
Scott Atran discusses “the human dynamics of what we analyze as ‘breeding grounds for terrorism’” in “Hopes and Dreams in a World of Fear,” the October 16 episode of On Being with Krista Tippett. Atran contends that the fight for the world lies in...
An article by Scott Atran in Foreign Policy magazine discusses media coverage of the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing and how media journalism influences public response to terrorist attacks. In the article, Atran argues that sensational media...
Scott Atran has penned an op-ed for Foreign Policy on the interplay between religion, science, and international conflict.
Atran argues that the international community is entering "an era of greater religiosity," and countries should turn to...
Scott Atran has interviewed dozens of terrorist leaders and operatives, and he has collected his insights from those conversations in his book, "Talking to the Enemy: Faith, Brotherhood, and the (Un)Making of Terrorists." He discussed those insights...
Robert Axelrod was cited in an op-ed for Science and Religion Today titled, "How Can a Better Understanding of Sacred Values Help Us Resolve Intergroup Conflicts?" The op-ed was written by Scott Atran, a research scientist at the University's...
Scott Atran spoke to CNN about the intense North Korean reactions to the death of Kim Jong-il.
Upon hearing the news of Kim Jong-il's death many North Koreans began hysterically sobbing and bawling, and television crews captured people so...
Scott Atran was interviewed on an episode of "On Being," an American Public Media show hosted by Krista Tippett. As described by "On Being," the episode asks Atran to help "make deeper sense of the human dynamics unfolding in the Middle East and...
In "Turning the Taliban Against Al Qaeda," an op-ed appearing in the New York Times, Scott Atran discusses current and future U.S. and NATO strategies for negotiations between the Afghan government and Taliban leaders. Atran also appeared on a...
A new book by Scott Atran, "Talking to the Enemy: Faith, Brotherhood, and the (Un)Making of Terrorists," is now available from HarperCollins Publishers. According to the publisher, "Talking to the Enemy" offers readers a startling look deep inside...
Robert Axelrod and Scott Atran wrote an op-ed for the New York Times defending their right, as social scientists, to talk to U.S. classified terrorist organizations without threatening national security. The op-ed was written in response to a recent...
Scott Atran spoke to the Associated Press about the fallout from an Israeli attack on a flotilla of Turkish aid ships headed for the Gaza Strip. The flotilla, also carrying pro-Palestinian activists, ignored warnings that the Gaza shore was under an...
Scott Atran spoke with Newsweek about Iranian support for the country’s nuclear program. Atran frames the issue using a concept from social psychology known as 'sacred value,' or a value that transcends what might be considered rational benefit-cost...
In "To Beat Al Qaeda, Look to the East," an op-ed written for the New York Times, Scott Atran explains social structure commonalities between Al Qaeda and the Taliban and discusses how the U.S. can use these similarities to defeat violent extremism...
The Center for the Study of Complex Systems, The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and the Department of Political Science will be hosting a two day conference on the Evolution of Cooperation and The Framing of Peace. This conference will focus on the past and current research of Robert Axelrod, who has made substantial contributions to all three units.
Terrorism is an inherently social phenomenon. While it is commonly assumed that terrorists kill and die for a cause, they are motivated and strengthened by social connections. This colloquium brings together researchers in this area to discuss terrorism's root causes in the interpersonal relationships between terrorists, competition between terrorist groups within societies, and strategic alliances between organizations. Note as of 10:00am 1/27: Erica Chenoweth and Michael Horowitz will be unable to join us due to inclement weather on the East Coast.
Part 4 of the International Policy Center's Global Policy Perspectives Symposium Scott Atran, Research Scientist, Center for Group Dynamics, U-M and Center on Terrorism, John Jay College, City University of New York. Robert Axelrod, Walgreen Professor for the Study of Human Understanding, U-M and consultant to the Office of the U.S.
Scott Atran, Robert Axelrod, Philip Potter discuss terrorism's root causes in the interpersonal relationships between terrorists, competition between terrorist groups within societies, and strategic alliances between organizations.
