Silvia Carenzi
Scuola Normale Superiore, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Department Member
- Militant Islamism, Islamic Movements and Political Islam, Rebel Governance, Political Violence, Social movements and revolution, Jihadism, and 29 moreJihadism and Radical Islamism, Salafi-jihadist groups, Social Movements, Contentious Politics, Social Movements and Contentious Politics, Political Violence and Terrorism, Islamic State, al-Qaeda, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Syria, Syrian Conflict, Middle East Politics, Middle East Studies, Middle East & North Africa, International Relations of Middle East, Arabic and Islamic Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Security Studies, Critical Security Studies, War Studies, Islamism, Political Islam, Call for Papers, Peace and Conflicts Studies, Scale shift, Non State Armed Actors, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Insurgency, and Uprisingsedit
- I am currently pursuing a PhD at Scuola Normale Superiore and Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies. My PhD research a... moreI am currently pursuing a PhD at Scuola Normale Superiore and Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies. My PhD research aims to understand the trajectories of militant Islamist groups in Syria — ideally, attempting to bridge research on conflict and political violence, social movement studies, and area studies.
I am also a member of the COSMOS Center for Social Movement Studies, based at Scuola Normale Superiore and of the ERIS Working Group at Scuola Sant'Anna. I previously worked at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), where I’m currently an Associate Researcher.
For inquiries: silvia.carenzi[at]sns.itedit
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This article seeks to identify the trajectories of the jihadi constellation in Syria. In fact, the Syrian conflict had important consequences on the evolution of jihadi actors, prompting dynamics of differentiation between them. Indeed,... more
This article seeks to identify the trajectories of the jihadi constellation in Syria. In fact, the Syrian conflict had important consequences on the evolution of jihadi actors, prompting dynamics of differentiation between them. Indeed, three trajectories or models of jihadism seem to have emerged: besides al-Qa‘ida, two other “tracks” can be identified, namely those of the so-called Islamic State (IS) and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This article briefly illustrates how these trajectories emerged and their peculiarities. In the case of the IS, pre-existing differences with al-Qa‘ida seem to have become more marked over time, and their split and subsequent competition have fed into this process. With respect to HTS, its evolution entailed trying to distance itself from the al-Qa‘ida brand and global jihad in general, in order to safeguard its political objectives and survival.
Research Interests:
This article seeks to explain how Hay' at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), al-Qa'ida's former affiliate in Syria, adopted an increasingly locally-focused strategy. Drawing on the social movement literature, HTS's trajectory is conceptualized as a... more
This article seeks to explain how Hay' at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), al-Qa'ida's former affiliate in Syria, adopted an increasingly locally-focused strategy. Drawing on the social movement literature, HTS's trajectory is conceptualized as a process of "downward scale shift. This article sets out a series of mechanisms that give rise to this process. In doing so, it serves to illustrate that while ideology is a key element in shaping militant groups' political behavior, insofar as it informs their strategies and their definition of enemies, militants' choices are also influenced by their interaction with other actors and the environment, and their own understanding of emerging opportunities and threats.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This workshop presentation is based on my article "A Downward Scale Shift? The Case of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham", featured in Perspectives on Terrorism 14(6). The workshop "Perspectives on Governance by Non-State Armed Actors", that I... more
This workshop presentation is based on my article "A Downward Scale Shift? The Case of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham", featured in Perspectives on Terrorism 14(6).
The workshop "Perspectives on Governance by Non-State Armed Actors", that I co-organized with Lydia Letsch, is the first event of the cycle Debating Transnational Governance, promoted by Scuola Normale Superiore and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna.
The workshop "Perspectives on Governance by Non-State Armed Actors", that I co-organized with Lydia Letsch, is the first event of the cycle Debating Transnational Governance, promoted by Scuola Normale Superiore and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna.
Research Interests:
We invite paper proposals for our upcoming Workshop “Perspectives on Governance by Non-State Armed Actors”, which will be held online on May 24, 2021. It is the first event of the Workshop Series "Debating Transnational Governance",... more
We invite paper proposals for our upcoming Workshop “Perspectives on Governance by Non-State Armed Actors”, which will be held online on May 24, 2021. It is the first event of the Workshop Series "Debating Transnational Governance", organized by Scuola Normale Superiore and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna.
The study of governance by non-state armed actors, including rebel groups, is an emerging field of research that has experienced greater scrutiny over recent years. Phenomena such as civil wars, in which insurgent groups or other armed groups might take control over swaths of territory and administer public life, have shown the limits of state-centered paradigms, thus stimulating the emergence of new approaches.
Literature on rebel governance, and on governance by armed groups broadly speaking, has been enriched by comparative analyses encompassing a number of case studies both in the same geographical area and in different regions. In particular, scholarship has highlighted the diversity underlying the concept of governance by non-state armed actors, as a variety of governance styles, patterns, and characteristics have been observed, shaped by pre-conflict as well as wartime factors. For instance, a number of works have scrutinized the relationship between rebel groups and the local civilians, focusing not only on the strategies employed by such groups to engage the populations, but also on how civilians’ response might affect rebels’ behavior and choices in governance; and on the experiences, perceptions, and agency of local actors.
This workshop aims to foster and expand current debates in the field of rebel governance and governance by armed groups. The event is open to both theoretical and empirical contributions, and it especially welcomes interdisciplinary contributions combining insights from different fields of research, as well as those connecting different levels of analysis. We welcome proposals addressing a range of aspects including, but not limited to: inter-group dynamics and governance by armed groups; relations between armed groups and civilians; women's roles and participation in rebel governance; the contested role of political ideologies; “hybrid actors” and external sponsors; consequences of rebel governance in the post-war context.
Proposals can be submitted online here until April 26, 2021: https://forms.gle/FNEks63UYcFK9isF8
Contacts: silvia[dot]carenzi[at]sns[dot]it | lydia[dot]letsch[at]sns[dot]it
The study of governance by non-state armed actors, including rebel groups, is an emerging field of research that has experienced greater scrutiny over recent years. Phenomena such as civil wars, in which insurgent groups or other armed groups might take control over swaths of territory and administer public life, have shown the limits of state-centered paradigms, thus stimulating the emergence of new approaches.
Literature on rebel governance, and on governance by armed groups broadly speaking, has been enriched by comparative analyses encompassing a number of case studies both in the same geographical area and in different regions. In particular, scholarship has highlighted the diversity underlying the concept of governance by non-state armed actors, as a variety of governance styles, patterns, and characteristics have been observed, shaped by pre-conflict as well as wartime factors. For instance, a number of works have scrutinized the relationship between rebel groups and the local civilians, focusing not only on the strategies employed by such groups to engage the populations, but also on how civilians’ response might affect rebels’ behavior and choices in governance; and on the experiences, perceptions, and agency of local actors.
This workshop aims to foster and expand current debates in the field of rebel governance and governance by armed groups. The event is open to both theoretical and empirical contributions, and it especially welcomes interdisciplinary contributions combining insights from different fields of research, as well as those connecting different levels of analysis. We welcome proposals addressing a range of aspects including, but not limited to: inter-group dynamics and governance by armed groups; relations between armed groups and civilians; women's roles and participation in rebel governance; the contested role of political ideologies; “hybrid actors” and external sponsors; consequences of rebel governance in the post-war context.
Proposals can be submitted online here until April 26, 2021: https://forms.gle/FNEks63UYcFK9isF8
Contacts: silvia[dot]carenzi[at]sns[dot]it | lydia[dot]letsch[at]sns[dot]it