The metamorphosis of Syria's oppositional civil society

Abstract

This research seeks to understand the changing nature of Syria’s oppositional civil society, notably following the uprising in 2011. As such, the main research question of this thesis is Has Syrian civil society changed since the start of the uprising in 2011? If so, how and why? In order to answer these questions, it adopts a critical-constructivist approach and uses qualitative research methods in the form of in-depth semi-structured interviews with and social media observations on key actors within this realm.

From a contextually based approach a reconceptualisation of civil society is undertaken which identifies Syrian civil society as: acting in a state of war, politically engaged and emerging from below. Therefore it moves civil society beyond a neo-liberal tool that removes its agency and autonomy and instead sees its primary function as a form of resistance against the hegemonic powers. This resistance is undertaken by the citizen-activists of the uprising, identified as a new organic intelligentsia, as a means of reclaiming their right to the political. In doing this, these organic intellectuals become representatives of civil society through their articulation of its political voice.

Three phases in the metamorphosis of Syria’s oppositional civil society are identified. The pre- uprising phase - dominated by intellectuals who were dislocated from society and restricted by an authoritarian regime, who paved the way towards the uprising. The early uprising phase - signified a significant shift in civil society, as emerging from below, from amongst the citizen-activists of the non-violent movements of the uprising, who found a space of freedom outside of regime control to more overtly resist. The later uprising phase - presented a civil society that was forced to move beyond the borders of Syria to form transnational networks of Syrian civil society, who maintained their resistance and continue to work towards social and political change.