Revolution in Syria: Identity, Networks, and Repression

ISBN-13: 9781108824170 / Angielski / Miękka / 2021 / 300 str.

Kevin Mazur

Opis

How does protest advancing diverse claims turn into violent conflict occurring primarily along ethnic lines? This book examines that question in the context of Syria, drawing insight from the evolution of conflict at the local level. Kevin Mazur shows that the challenge to the Syrian regime did not erupt neatly along ethnic boundaries, and that lines of access to state-controlled resources played a critical structuring role; the ethnicization of conflict resulted from failed incumbent efforts to shore up network ties and the violence that the Asad regime used to crush dissent by challengers excluded from those networks. Mazur uses variation in the political and demographic characteristics of locales to explain regime strategies, the roles played by local intermediaries, the choice between non-violent and violent resistance, and the salience of ethnicity. By drawing attention to cross-ethnic ties, the book suggests new strategies for understanding ostensibly ethnic conflicts beyond Syria.

Recenzje

'Revolution in Syria shows beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Syrian conflict was not “ethnic” in its origin but rather took on this appearance over time. Mazur's painstaking description of the evolving interactions between challengers and the incumbent regime in Syria contributes richly to studies of 'ethnic violence' by tracing exactly how ethnicization occurred. The author's deep attention to the varied local dynamics of contestation across the country and his profound knowledge of the case make the book a must-read for anyone interested in Syria, the Middle East, and ethnic politics more generally.' Melani Cammett, Harvard University

Spis treści

1. Introduction; 2. Theory; 3. Networks, identities, and patronage in contemporary Syria; 4. Events of the Syrian uprising; 5. Initial forms of challenge; 6. State networks and non-participation; 7. Logics of state repression and societal response; 8. Particularizing challenge in Kurdish areas; 9. Conclusion.