Explains Hezbollah's ceaseless drive for survival and the unintended, tragic consequences it has generated
What drives Hezbollah's political behaviour? For three decades we believed that the impetus of establishing an Islamic state in Lebanon was its main goal. This book disagrees. Drawn from over fifteen years of research, it traces Hezbollah's political trajectory, or socialisation process, from its birth in 1982 to 2017. It identifies the religio-political identity and doctrine that inspire Hezbollah and the politico-strategic goals that motivate it. It argues that war-making with Israel has driven Hezbollah's socialisation in Lebanon and the region, transforming the Islamist movement from a loose organization into one of the world's most powerful and sophisticated armed political movements.
Key Features
Uses a theoretical framework rooted in the intellectual tradition of Historical Sociology to offer a new conceptualisation of Hezbollah as an armed political movement
Draws from International Relations and Sociological theories to advance an explanation of the causes and consequences of Hezbollah's socialisation process
Uses field interviews in Lebanon, speeches and religio-political writings of Hezbollah officials, testaments of its fighters, and party communiqués
Shows how Hezbollah's motivation to make war with Israel has generated unintended consequences including security paradoxes, political conformity, and ethical dilemmas