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A terrible event took place on September 11 th 2001. Our nation was attacked, but not over seas or financially. This nation and its people were attacked here, within the United States, by our own planes. Members of the Islamic extremist group know as the Taliban attacked the United States and our way of life.
The leader and financier of this group, Bin Ladin, is now the main suspect as the mastermind behind this attack. These people seek not only to destroy buildings and kill Americans, but they also wish to combat the American way of life and install terror into the minds of Americans everywhere. To them this a religious war, or Jihad, against the American evil. Explaining what motives were behind this attack can be done by using three views on socialization, which are Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactions. Functionalism is based on the assumption that all aspects of society exist in an equilibrium.
Functionalists relate society to a machine with individual parts working together to make the machine work. A change in the machine or dysfunction will cause the machine, or society, to stop working. Conflict Theory, is the belief that change is needed in a society in order for the strong to fall and to be replaced. This overthrowing and rebirth of society is a normal routine within Conflict Theory. Finally, symbolic interactionalists focuses on the individuals performance in a society, and how they see the world around them.
In this particular scenario, of the September 11 th attack, the conflict theory best describes the terrorists motives for this attack on our way of life. Up until the morning of September 11 th the people of the United States of America led routine lives. All aspects of this society were attempting to advance the society to new economic and social heights. The motive for the terrorists that day was to try to disrupt the machine, which is the American society. By doing this they hoped to cause chaos in which America would fall socially and economically. This is why they choose a high populated economic icon and the center of our military power as targets.
They were successful in some degree in this attack. The economy is now suffering because faith in the government has been shaken, but this will not last. Soon a war economy will kick in the stock markets will recover and America will surpass its pervious point, before the attacks. The attacks will also cause the American people to band together and work harder toward one goal. The functionalist theory states that any dysfunction will cause a break down in the system, but I do not believe this will happen here. I believe this event will only strength us.
Symbolic Interactionalists take a different view toward the terrorists motives. Interactionalists focus on the performance in society of individuals and how they feel about the world around them. The terrorist attacks on the US that day were meant to instil fear into all Americans. The attack was also meant to make the American people question their own security and faith in the government.
The terrorists were able to temporarily accomplish this goal. The effect faded by the end of the day. Americans are more than ever prepared to fight all terrorism over seas. To quote Nick Machoucas, A resident of Mayfield Hts. , My shot gun is loaded. Who wants to go over with me?
The American people are ready to fight and support their president in these times. The terrorists did accomplish their goal of making the American people question their own security, but new security precautions will only help us in the upcoming war. The Conflict Theory is most applicable to the terrorist attacks. The basis of the conflict theory are the ideas first present by Karl Marx. Conflict theory states that a weaker class of people must strive to overthrow the ruling class. This goes for societies as a whole also.
Conflict theory also states that there is a constant struggle present in and with all societies. The attack on the 11 th is just another example of the struggle. The extremist Islamic society that most likely perpetrated this act is struggling to gain power and influence in the world. To them American is the greatest enemy because not only is our culture against their extremist Islamic beliefs, but it is spreading to all other nations. American culture as even spread to their home countries. This struggle is intensified even more by their extremists beliefs.
To them this is Jihad, religious war, which will only encourage more men to give their lives for their beliefs. The terrorists hope to overthrow the American society and destroy it. They hoped to ruin America financially by introducing doubt into a prospering economy. They hoped to instill fear into the American people by targeting planes randomly and using our planes against us. Finally they hoped to weaken our military by attacking its headquarters... The attacks were even chronologically sequenced to cause the most harm to our nation.
First of four American planes flying with large amounts of fuel were hijacked. The first was crashed into one tower of the World Trade Center. One of the four planes crashed randomly in Pennsylvania. The final two planes arrived at perfect times for maximum effect.
The plane that hit the Pentagon just as meetings were taking place on what to do about the terrorist attacks. The final plane crashed into the other tower of the World Trade Center in front of hundreds of news reporters. This image was replayed hundreds of times for the American people and all over the world. I believe that the Conflict Theory explains their goals and motives the best.
The underlying goal was and still is to cause the fall and destruction of the American/Western society and to replace it with an extremist Muslim society. This action is routine within Conflict Theory, and it has happened countless times in history.
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Research essay sample on World Trade Center Conflict Theory
