State Atrophy in Syria : : War, Society and Institutional Change / / Harout Akdedian.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter EBOOK PACKAGE COMPLETE 2023 English
• VerfasserIn: Akdedian, Harout,
• Place / Publishing House: Edinburgh : : Edinburgh University Press, , [2023]; ©2023
• Year of Publication: 2023
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (280 p.)

Examines institutional and socio-cultural transformations throughout the Syrian conflictFills substantial gaps in the literature on Syria regarding state atrophy, covering both institutional and social-cultural formulations Focuses on five distinct and most consequential aspects of state atrophy during the Syrian conflict: state capture, proliferation and devolution of violence, ethno-religious subjectivities and sectarianization, the expansion of the religious field and Civilian-led community protection efforts Responds to the need for a synthesis of emergent scholarship as well as developments over the course of the conflict Traces patterns of continuity and change in state-society relations before and throughout the conflict, and identifies their implications for the future of Syria Based on primary sources and original dataHow do governments contribute to galvanizing public hostility against state institutions? And what are the consequences of undermining the state as a strategy for political change? State Atrophy in Syria highlights how the appropriation of state institutions by public officials limits public capacity to demand accountability from government without having to challenge the state or its institutions. This creates consequential trade-offs for the public. As the Syrian case demonstrates, the undermining of state institutions failed to depose the dictatorship, continuously benefitted Assad’s foreign allies, Russia and Iran, and engendered unprecedented levels of predatory practices against the public.As Syria continues to play a strategic role on the world’s political stage, the book outlines the country’s tragic decade and derives lessons for state-society relations in Syria and beyond.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction: On Abolition, State Capture and Atrophy -- 1 State Capture and Devolution in Syria: A Paradoxical Landscape -- 2 Institutions of Violence and Proliferation -- 3 Ethno-religious Subjectivities: Dynamics of Communitarianism and Sectarianisation -- 4 Institutional Ecologies during State Atrophy: The Religious Field as Case Study* -- 5 Civilian Agency and its Limits: Community Protection in Deir Hafer and Kasab -- Conclusion: The Future of State–Society Relations -- Bibliography -- Index