Publication

This study argues that the spread of violent extremism cannot be fully understood as an ideological or social phenomenon, but must also be viewed as a process that integrates the two forces in a co-evolutionary manner. The same forces that make an ideology appealing to some are not necessarily the same factors that promote its transfer through social networks of self‐interested human beings. Key insights from the theoretical and empirical discussions in this paper provide new insights into the social patterns of violent extremists over time, which are important to understanding radicalization.