The project focuses on how individual deeds, in times of radical uncertainty and flux, inspire collective action or lead to new institutional practices in ways that determine the direction a society takes. The emphasis will lie on the small but often heroic everyday acts of common people who attempt to challenge dehumanizing trends of exclusion and abuse in violent conflict and civil war in Syria, Somalia and Myanmar.
The new project is led by Research Professor Cindy Horst and titled Societal Transformation in Conflict Contexts (TRANSFORM). It was awarded a 10 million Norwegian kroner budget from the Research Council of Norway.
In addition to Horst, project participants include Senior Researcher Marte Nilsen (PRIO),
Senior Researcher Kjetil Selvik (CMI), Lecturer Tamar Groves (Universidad de Extremadura), Research Fellow Benjamin Dix (SOAS) and doctoral researcher Ebba Tellander (PRIO).
In times of radical uncertainty and flux, how do individual deeds inspire collective action or lead to new institutional practices in ways that determine the direction a society takes? What can we learn from conflict contexts about the driving forces of societal transformation?
TRANSFORM studies the small but often heroic everyday acts of common people who attempt to challenge dehumanizing trends of exclusion and abuse in violent conflict and civil war. The project involves a close examination of the origins of individual deeds in violent conflict, and the process by which these acts encourage collective action and new institutional practices.
The individual, social and institutional drivers of transformation have not been studied systematically within one project, as disciplinary divides often prevent insights on one from informing research on the others. Thus, the project aims to make a theoretical contribution to the agency-structure impasse in the social sciences and humanities - an impasse that hides a fundamental disagreement about the driving forces of societal transformation.
TRANSFORM combines a strong social-anthropological and political philosophical curiosity about the normative aspects of moral acts in situations of radical uncertainty with empirical research on actual practices and processes during transformative moments in the history of violent conflict and civil war in Syria, Somalia and Myanmar.
Data collection combines life histories and institutional ethnography with a new method that uses graphic illustrations in focus group discussions, and will take place in the three countries and/or among refugee communities from these countries in the region and in Norway. Collecting data on the societal impacts of ordinary citizens' moral counter-acts of empathy, care and protection in conditions of suffering and marginalization, TRANSFORM aims to make a ground-breaking contribution to the newly established field of the 'anthropology of the good'.
The primary objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive theory on the driving forces of societal transformation.
In societies at war or facing severe repression, what motivates individuals to take action for social justice when doing so involves great risk and uncertainty? How do such small but often heroic everyday acts of common people inspire larger transformations? And what is the impact of storytelling about everyday acts that challenge inequalities and injustices in places like Myanmar, Somaliland and Syria?
The TRANSFORM research team has grappled with these questions for four years, and you will find some answers in this online exhibition.
PRIO is proud to share a five-part comic based on the true story of the Uffo group made in collaboration with PositiveNegatives. Available in both English and Somali, these graphic narratives explore how brave actions by small groups of people can inspire collection action and societal change.
What drives the small but often heroic everyday acts of people in their attempts to challenge dehumanization and abuse in violent conflict? PRIO is proud to share the second of a series of three animations and comics from Myanmar, Syria and Somaliland, made for the TRANSFORM project in collaboration with PositiveNegatives.
What drives the small but often heroic everyday acts of people in their attempts to challenge dehumanization and abuse in violent conflict? PRIO is proud to share the first of a series of three animations and comics from Myanmar, Syria and Somaliland, made for the TRANSFORM project in collaboration with PositiveNegatives.
The TRANSFORM project had its kick-off workshop 1-2 June 2017.
The workshop functioned as the formal start of the TRANSFORM project.
The project researchers devloped a shared understanding of aims, research questions, methods, communication strategy and output.
The team members also defined each other's roles and responsibilities.
The project will focus on how individual deeds, in times of radical uncertainty and flux, inspire collective action or lead to new institutional practices in ways that determine the direction a society takes. The emphasis will lie on the small but often heroic everyday acts of common people who attempt to challenge dehumanizing trends of exclusion and abuse in violent conflict and civil war in Syria, Somalia and Myanmar.
Several new PRIO projects have received funding from the Research Council of Norway's FRIHUMSAM funding program.
Journal Article in Journal of Refugee Studies
Book Chapter in Renewing the migration debate. Building disciplinary and geographical bridges to explain global migration
Popular Article in The Conversation
Popular Article in Asiapunkt
Popular Article in Klassekampen
Journal Article in Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology
Master Thesis
Book Chapter in Refugees' Roles in Resolving Displacement and Building Peace: Beyond Beneficiaries
Book Chapter in Women Peace and Security in Myanmar: Between Feminism and Ethnopolitics
Master Thesis