During a civil war, how do civilians protect themselves against violence, and how do they access food, livelihoods, water, and health support?

In the newly published book, Civilian Protective Agency in Violent Settings: A Comparative Perspective, Feinstein Research Director Kimberly Howe addresses these questions in the context of the Syrian civil war. Howe authors the chapter “The ties that bind: Civilian adaptation and social connectedness during the Syrian Civil War.”

Drawing on original quantitative and qualitative data collected in dozens of communities between 2013 and 2020, this chapter identifies and analyses expressions of civilian agency and forms of self-protection that have arisen in this context.

The chapter demonstrates theoretically and empirically the importance of social connectedness as a form of civilian protective agency during the civil war in Syria.

The book is available from Oxford University Press and edited by Jana Krause et al.