ideological structure
Definition
Ideological structure refers to the organization of a belief system as a network of interconnected nodes and edges, rather than as an unordered collection of attitudes. Within this framework, beliefs vary in centrality: those that connect to many other elements occupy a structurally dominant position, while peripheral beliefs remain more loosely tied to the core. In research on Indonesian Islamic jihadists, religion consistently occupied this central position, functioning as a sacred-symbolic anchor around which more operational beliefs were arranged. An empirical implication of this architecture is that deradicalization appears to loosen peripheral commitments, such as willingness to fight, while leaving the sacred core, measured through fusion with religion, statistically unchanged. Structural connections among beliefs, specifically the perceived link between Islamic identity and Sharia versus Islamic identity and democracy, predicted willingness to fight for religion in ways that ideological content alone cannot explain.
Sources: Milla et al. (2026)
Related Terms
- belief system (1 shared article)
- Jihadism. (1 shared article)
Applications
Ideological Structure and Ideological Change
The structural account of ideology reframes ideological change as a reorganization of connections within a belief network rather than a wholesale replacement of content. Because sacred-symbolic core beliefs retain high centrality and resist modification, change is accommodated peripherally: new beliefs attach loosely to the core, attenuating the motivational strength of more extreme peripheral nodes. The case of an Indonesian jihadist who shifted from jihadism to left-wing environmental activism illustrates this pattern, as Islam remained the organizing node throughout the apparent ideological transition.
Sources: Milla et al. (2026)
Ideological Structure and Sacred Values
Sacred values occupy the central node of an extremist belief system and confer stability on the surrounding structure. In the Indonesian jihadist sample, the belief that jihad is divinely mandated functioned as a non-negotiable anchor, making the broader ideological structure resistant to change at its core even when peripheral operational beliefs shifted. This centrality distinguishes ideologies that sustain the legitimacy of violence from those that are more susceptible to moderation.
Sources: Milla et al. (2026)
Ideological Structure and Radicalization
Radicalization and moderation are both explicable in terms of shifts in structural connections rather than changes in ideological content per se. A stronger perceived connection between Islamic identity and Sharia positively predicted willingness to fight for religion, while a stronger perceived connection between Islamic identity and democracy was negatively associated with it, controlling for fusion to religion. These findings indicate that the pattern of linkages within an ideological structure, not merely the presence of particular beliefs, drives the behavioral commitments associated with radicalization.
Sources: Milla et al. (2026)
