Societal Adjustments to the Threat of Terrorist Attacks
Societal Adjustments to the Threat of Terrorist Attacks
by Seymour Spilerman (Sociology) and Guy Stecklov (Hebrew University)
Terrorist attacks in the United States and in Western Europe have been rare and the public awareness
of the terrorist menace has largely been molded by a few horrific events. In contrast, other countries
have experienced chronic terrorism, with attacks on busses, restaurants, coffee shops, and retail
establishments. In this paper we assess the impact of terrorism on civilian society in the United States,
Northern Ireland, and Israel. We examine the psychological effects, the adaptations made by
individuals to enhance their safety, and the consequent adjustments made by institutional actors and
by commercial establishments to ensure continued economic viability. We review the various theories
of societal adjustments to exogenous shocks, and point out that a very different formulation is
required for the case of chronic terrorism than for the societal experience of a one-time attack.
