Conflict and Identity

Abstract

In this day and age, conflict still ravages on in many parts of the world. How conflict changes and or transforms identity nevertheless is still not clear for scholars. In fact, the relationship between political conflict and its effect on identity is highly contentious and still unsettled. Understanding this connection is of great value to the study of historical as well as contemporary social change. How do the effects of state repression inflicted upon social movements alter identity? What happens when certain groups are forced out of their country of during a civil war? How do processes of war affect the formation of identity and in turn, statehood? This panel will contain three papers in which identity and conflict will be explored, deliberated, and theorized. The first paper explores why some historical cases of severe state repression spur social transformation, or in some cases, deter dissent. In the second presentation, the contemporary conflict in Syria is analyzed with attention being placed on Syrian Christians and their experiences in refuge to neighboring states. The third of the three presentations explores the dominant theoretical intuition held by political sociologists regarding the formation of nation states with attention being paid to war and the sub-national level. These three presentations will present a ripe arena in which to debate some key hot topics relevant to political science and sociology.

Title	Details
Turning the Coin: State Failure, War and the Creation of Stateness	View Paper Details
Syrian Uprising and Identity Change: Case Study of Syrian Christians in Armenia	View Paper Details
State Coercion, Identity and Social Change: A Comparative Analysis of 12 Historical Cases	View Paper Details