You do not have to look far to find a whacky premise for a PhD. Check out the flat earth thesis based on religion
http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/201...-5-years-with-supervisors-working-on-it-.html
In the case of Waleed, it is the all too common case of picking a topic you are so invested in, you consciously or unconsciously are unable to have a balanced opinion.
Attempting an understanding of terrorism by using structuration theory is reasonable but when he tries to balance structure and agency, it is obvious to most that the structural guiding path of Islam towards acts of terrorism must be at least examined and explained before you claim it has no part.
Too most people there is a direct link between strong religious belief (of whatever variety) and extreme actions that make no sense without the guidance of their beliefs.
One would hope that at least a few members of academic world would have the guts to point this out. But then again, PCorrectness has largely overpowered critical thinking. Talk about an imbalance of structure and agency.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structure_and_agency
In the social sciences there is a standing debate over the primacy of structure or agency in shaping human behavior. Structure is the recurrent patterned arrangements which influence or limit the choices and opportunities available.[1] Agency is the capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices.[1] The structure versus agency debate may be understood as an issue of socialization against autonomy in determining whether an individual acts as a free agent or in a manner dictated by social structure.
