Commitment to Rebellion: Evidence from Syria

Vera Mironova, Loubna Mrie and Sam Whitt

Journal of Conflict Resolution, 2020, vol. 64, issue 4, 614-639

Abstract: What sustains commitment to rebel fighting during civil war? Using original survey data from the ongoing conflict in Syria, we examine whether self-ascribed rebel fighters, former fighters, civilians, and refugees can be clearly differentiated based on commitment to rebellion. We ask whether such groups are better characterized as a broadly holistic fighting community or a heterogeneous mix of actors with different levels of support for violence. Using a well-balanced sample of over 300 active and former rebel fighters, civilians from within the conflict zone, and externally displaced refugees, we observe that fighting commitment is greater among active combatants compared to other cohorts. To understand why, we examine underexplored psychological mechanisms and find that individuals with higher risk tolerance, optimism bias, and identity fusion with rebel forces display greater dedication to fighting. We discuss the implications of our results for understanding who participates in civil war violence and why.

Keywords: civil wars; rebellion; insurgency; risk tolerance; optimism bias; identity fusion; Syria (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:jocore:v:64:y:2020:i:4:p:614-639

DOI: 10.1177/0022002719867472

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