It is a well-known fact that political events usually have far reaching implications. One the key ramifications of political events is that they more often than not have profound effects on the way a particular society is organized and the way people in that society behave in relation to each other. Put differently, political events have the capability of permanently altering the sociological make up of a given society; they have the ability of occasioning unintended consequences of sociological change. This submission will examine the political crisis in Syria which has mutated into a civil war and the sociological changes that may result from this particular political crisis.
Political events in themselves have the potential of triggering sociological change. However, when other accompanying events such as civil war accompany the event, then there is bound to be a much more profound sociological change in the society. This is the scenario that Syria finds itself in. The Syrian situation traces its origin from the Arab Spring. This was a time when a number of countries in the Arab world successfully clamored for regime change. Such countries include Libya and Tunisia, among others. The general population in Syria also clamored for regime change. However, unlike the success stories of the Arab Spring, what was expected to be a one off political event in Syria has mutated into a political crisis which appears to have no end in sight. Additionally, the country is now in a state of civil war. It must not be lost that the war in Syria in essence is a political war. It is a political war because whoever emerges victorious in the end will assume the reins of power.
The political events in Syria have occasioned sociological change. As stated earlier in this submission, sociology refers to the way people behave in relation to each other in a particular society. The war in Syria has had the effect of permanently altering the way people relate to each other. Indeed, relations among citizens are now majorly dictated by whether one supports the government or the rebels. The relations are very much determined and influenced by which side of the political divide you support. To that extent, the agent of change in Syria in light of these circumstances can arguably be said to be the fight for political power between the government and its supporters and the rebels and their supporters. Secondly, the political events in Syria have led to changes in the roles played by different members of the society. For instance, as a result of the war, women and at times children have been forced to take up arms to defend themselves or perhaps even attack others. In other words, the battlefield is no longer a preserve for men. Such a scenario has the potential of triggering far reaching sociological changes. For instance, due to the prominent roles that women may find themselves playing in the war, the organization of the Syrian society may be permanently altered so as to assume a more prominent role for the women and children. Arguably, children who are exposed to the war and especially at the front line will relate differently to people in their society. It is almost impossible to expect that a child who has been exposed to the war will relate in the same way to others as he or she did before the war.
Works Cited
Byman, Daniel L. "The Syrian Spillover." Foreign Policy (2012): 1-7.
Weinstein, Jay. Social Change. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2010.
