Syria Divided: Patterns of Violence in a Complex Civil War

The civil war in Syria is a complex conflict with various participants understanding and explaining the war in different ways. Ora Szekely examines how competing narratives have shaped the course of the conflict, arguing that the competition to control the narrative has influenced the choices of participants and led to the treatment of warfare as a kind of performance.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 15 August 2023
Publisher: Columbia University Press

The civil war in Syria, which has claimed the lives of over 600,000 people and displaced over half of the country's population since 2011, is a complex conflict involving a wide range of state and non-state forces, both Syrian and international. The war is understood and explained in various ways by its many participants, ranging from a fight for dignity and democracy to a sectarian or communal conflict, or even a fight against terrorism or foreign interference.

In her book, Syria Divided, Ora Szekely delves into the competing narratives that have shaped the course of the conflict. Through in-depth interviews, conflict data, and propaganda distributed through social media, Szekely examines how these narratives have influenced the choices of participants and led many to treat warfare as a kind of performance.

Szekely's analysis highlights the performative aspects of violence, the weaponization of social media, and key features of twenty-first-century warfare. She argues that the competition to control the narrative in the eyes of important audiences at home and abroad has not only influenced the choices of participants but has also shaped how warfare is perceived and experienced by civilians.

The book offers new perspectives on the complexities of the Syrian civil war and its impact on the region and the world. It is a valuable contribution to the study of conflict and social media and will be of interest to scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of modern warfare.

Weight: 448g
Dimension: 151 x 230 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231205399