The Scientific Representation of the Radicalization: A Meta-Analysis on Scientific Journals (2014-2017)

The purpose of the paper is to present main findings of a quantitative research on the scientific literature about radicalization. it is a part of an ongoing Horizon 2020 European Project called TRIVALENT "Terrorism Prevention Via Radicalization Counter-Narrative" (2017-2019). This meta-analysis is focused on International Scientific Journals publishing articles on radicalization from 2014 up to 2017 (the time of ISIS rise) and it is based on automatic statistical textual method. The analysis points out: 1. Although, during the considered time, the focus of journals has moved from a focus on socio-cultural dynamics of radicalization to international conflict in Meddle East, the prevalent analytic approach is been based on a micro-approach. 2. Main factors used for analyzing radicalization have been ideology, cultural factors and group dynamics rather than macro-social factors such as inequality or social disintegration. 3. A psychologization centered over the Self and the individual is the main framework of contemporary scientific literature on radicalization, independently from Journal Topic (Sociology, International Affairs, Political Science and so forth). In conclusion our meta-analysis show that the international academic community tends to uderstimate systematically macro and political factors when it studys radicalization process.