Authoritarianism and the Emergence of Parallel State Dynamics: Evidence From the Syrian Earthquake

IF 0.6 Q2 AREA STUDIES
Rahaf Aldoughli
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This article investigates the Syrian regime's strategic manipulation of the February 2023 earthquake to reaffirm its authority and maintain legitimacy. The regime's response to the disaster is analyzed to understand how authoritarian states leverage natural disasters for political gains. It argues that the Assad regime's survival is not merely about governance capabilities but about extending its infrastructural power and political decisions through co-opted civil society organizations. The earthquake highlighted the regime's fragile crisis management capabilities and its reliance on entities like the Syrian Trust for Development (STD) and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), which function as quasi-state apparatuses. These organizations, under the guise of civil society, operate as extensions of state power, embodying a “parallel state” structure. Using theoretical frameworks from scholars like Beshara and Gramsci, the article explores the regime's tactics of control, hegemony, and parallelization. It critically examines the blurred lines between state and civil society, emphasizing the regime's manipulation of international aid and the consolidation of its authority in the aftermath of the earthquake. This study contributes to the broader conversation on authoritarian durability, highlighting the complex interactions between state apparatuses and civil society in times of crisis.

本文调查了叙利亚政权对2023年2月地震的战略操纵,以重申其权威并保持合法性。分析政权对灾难的反应,了解专制国家如何利用自然灾害来获得政治利益。它认为,阿萨德政权的生存不仅在于治理能力,还在于通过吸纳民间社会组织扩大其基础设施权力和政治决策。地震凸显了该政权脆弱的危机管理能力,以及它对叙利亚发展信托基金(STD)和叙利亚阿拉伯红新月会(SARC)等机构的依赖,这些机构的作用类似于国家机构。这些组织打着公民社会的幌子,作为国家权力的延伸运作,体现了一种“平行国家”结构。本文利用贝沙拉和葛兰西等学者的理论框架,探讨了该政权的控制、霸权和并行化策略。它批判性地审视了国家与公民社会之间模糊的界限,强调了该政权对国际援助的操纵,以及在地震后巩固其权威。这项研究有助于更广泛地讨论威权的持久性,突出了危机时期国家机器和公民社会之间复杂的相互作用。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
0.90
自引率
25.00%
发文量
32
期刊介绍: DOMES (Digest of Middle East Studies) is a biennial refereed journal devoted to articles and reviews of topics concerning the Middle East. This encompasses Islam, the Arab countries, Israel, and those countries traditionally referred to as the Near East, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey. DOMES is intended for individuals, libraries, research centers, corporations and government offices with interests in the Middle East. The roster of authors and reviewers represents specialists from different religious, political, and subject backgrounds. The scope of materials published or reviewed covers all subjects originally published in English, European, or non-European languages, ranging from books and journals to databases, films, and other media. DOMES includes informational, creative, and critical literary efforts.
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