College of Arts & Sciences

Ashly Chteh

College of Arts & Sciences Political Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amelia Hoover Green Politics

Civilian life in armed conflict: Social media and self-expression in Syria, 2018

In this study, I examined what civilian life looks like in the midst of armed conflict. Specifically, I looked at the everyday aspects of life and where social media and self-expression fit into that. How is political rhetoric formed? What does political participation look like? How do citizens express themselves? Using systematic searches of social media content, I analyzed how life is portrayed by civilians themselves, focusing on the state of Syria. In particular, I examined YouTube videos by individuals posting independently of any organization or coterie, visiting and/or living in Syria, and a sample of social media posts from accounts based in Syria. Contrary to most published literature about life during a conflict, I found that the way of life for many civilians is fairly normal, although circumscribed by both armed conflict and authoritarian government.