Structural and functional features of religious extremist activity - between hierarchy and networkization

The work is devoted to the study of the structural and functional model of religious extremist associations. Religious extremist actions are viewed as a joint form of organized activity. Its specifics are influenced by the conditionsof modern civilization: digital environment, virtualization, globalization, and networkization. The research methodology is based on the structural-functional approach by T. Parsons. Religious extremist associations are viewed as systemic units of a sociocultural community and independent social systems. The establishment of network connections is carried out within the theories framework by J. Barns, M. Castells. The nature of the relationship between the participants is determined by the theory of social exchange by G. Homans. In the modern world, many organizations, especially those with a transnational characteristic, are replacing the hierarchical structure model with a network one. This allows them to optimize their economic and intellectual resources, strengthen political and symbolic capital, expand their target audience and increase competitiveness. Extremist organizationsare also transforming their structure. Religious extremism seeks to implement socio-political projects for a radical transformation of social reality on a religious basis through the conquest, retention, and use of power by illegal methods. Religious extremist associations actively use network resources, cooperate with other organizations and make appropriate changes to the structure. However, they retain a hierarchical model where the relationships are less explicit due to networkization processes. This model remains the main one due to the presence of a) sacred; b) general religious beliefs; c) a sense of spiritual unity and sacred significance, as well as the sharing of the religious and political ideology provisions by all participants. It is the combination ofhierarchyand networkization that contributes to the widespread dissemination of the religious extremism ideas and the growth of the activity of religious extremist associations.