How Ideologies Territorialize
Instructions & Information below
Using the various layers in the ArcGIS map depicting the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq’s general territory between 2014 and 2019, consider what it means for an ideology or an ideological group to “control” territory across international borders. Upon a visual inspection of the territorial claims of the Islamic State during those time periods and the violent acts that are still ongoing, you will write a two page paper evaluating the territorialization of an ideology and what it means even once the territory is deemed to have been reclaimed. Use the questions posed throughout the exercise as a guide.
The Islamic State in Syria and Iraq has been called by several names including ISIS, and ISIL, Daesh, but the group originated from al Qaeda in Iraq, which dissipated in 2007, only to resurface in 2011, changing its name to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in 2013.
Read the following Timeline: the Rise, Spread, and Fall of the Islamic State
Analyzing the Changing Territory of ISIS (2015-2019)
The caliphate was at its height of territorial control in 2014. At the end of 2014, airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq began to be conducted, and also marked a turning point in the control ISIS had over the landscape.
Using ArcGIS map, evaluate the approximate areas of control for ISIS in January 2015, October 2016, July 2017, and March 2019.
Note that the area of control for March 2019 is exaggerated for visualization purposes.
Map(s) for visual analysis references
Evaluate the changes in ISIS territory over time in the above maps. The transparencies to make the changes more apparent.
- Answer the following questions below in the deliverable paper:
⦁ How does ISIS territory change over time?
⦁ How does an ideological or extremist group that is a non-state actor such as ISIS gain and maintain territory?
Islamic State Attacks After the Fall of the Caliphate
After March 2019, area of control maps for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria are next to non-existent. Does that mean that ISIS is no longer a threat?
The added layer shows Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) for violent acts perpetrated by ISIS between 2020 and 2021, with a geoprecision level of 1 (the highest level of geoprecision). This subset of the ACLED dataset includes with just the locations of the violent acts.
Deliverable
This weeks assignment is to answer the following questions in a 2 page paper (300 to 500 words)
⦁ How different are the locations of the violent acts, shown in the ACLED data, to the approximate locations of the areas of control for ISIS over time?
⦁ Areas of control maps for ISIS since 2019 have been non-existent. Given the ACLED data of the violent acts continuing to be perpetrated by ISIS, what does the lack of an area of control map potentially signal?
If we create areas of control for an ideology and place them on a map, does it give the group legitimacy or prominence? Explain why or why not, and justify your response.
⦁ Based on the ACLED data provided, do you believe that ISIS still has “areas of control” in Syria and Iraq? Explain why or why not. If so, where would you consider placing the areas of control?
References must be in APA format.
Some references you can use:
Jabareen, Y. (2015). The emerging Islamic State: Terror, territoriality, and the agenda of social transformation. Geoforum, 58, 51-55.
Pokalova, E. (2010). Framing separatism as terrorism: Lessons from Kosovo. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 33(5), 429-447.
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