On a Continuum of Roles: Women as Key Socialization Actors of Other Women in Al-Shabaab
In current research the role of women in terrorist organizations has remained largely underexposed. This article responds to the call to draw attention to the active women's role in terrorist organizations by uncovering how women in terrorist organizations, specifically Al-Shabaab, socialize with other women who enter or change roles within the organization. This has been done through a literature review, which integrates the insights drawn from papers on the role of women in terrorist organizations with current knowledge on organizational socialization. The research shows that women are active in a wide array of roles and that they should not only be viewed as passive victims. Furthermore, women already familiar with the terrorist organization are especially important for the socialization of female newcomers and their role in maintaining the terrorist organization should not be ignored. The article also sheds light on how the theory of organizational socialization could be improved. As the results provide a better understanding on how socialization might differ depending on the degree of autonomy the newcomer has and what insights it might provide for other criminal organizations.