Culture and Terror

About the Book

Foreword by Coleen Rowley

Post-9/11 America is in a cultural haze. The relationship between terror and crime is evolving more closely together at the same time that many Americans seem to have forgotten that America, too, is a source of terrorism. Domestic terror is a long-standing and ongoing pattern within American culture, having woven itself into America’s social, geographical and emotional heart, with support from problems in America’s national character and American society. American culture will keep moving, either in the direction of the jackal, representing terror, or in the direction of the phoenix, representing the ability not just to revive, but also to become stronger after a terrorist attack.

About the Author

Dr. Karen A. Larson is a cultural anthropologist who has conducted research on topics ranging from communication and cultural identity to symbolism and social organization, after receiving her Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. Her understanding of the human condition has been enhanced by studying the cultural politics of the Saami (Lapps) in northern Norway, the development of respect behavior among Muslim children in the southern Philippines, and the social struggles of depressed Americans. Her specialized interests in the study of American culture include gender roles, mental health, sports, tourist culture, and terrorism. She has acted as an FBI profiling consultant, and her analyses of post-9/11 American culture have received global press coverage. She teaches anthropology and interdisciplinary studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in southern Minnesota, and relaxes by practicing martial arts and dancing at powwows.