Influences of Islamist Radicalization: A Configurational Analysis of Balkan Foreign Fighters in Syria

Recent research on Islamist radicalization has directed greater attention to the conjunctions of causes and staged processes that draw individuals into violent extremism. Yet is still grappling with varying extents individual action external factors, including social networks, peer pressure, propaganda, cultural socio-economic conditions, processes. At bottom, this investigation revolves around context in which live influences acting upon them. Identifying patterns these conditions essential understanding how come engage This article presents a configurational analysis foreign fighters travelled fight Syrian War. The paper data gathered from interviews, security judicial records, secondary sources Western Balkans (predominantly Bosnia Herzegovina) joined groups Individuals’ relationship longstanding Balkan radical milieus key preachers were coded. Using qualitative comparative (QCA) techniques, we present systematic description characteristics fighters.