(Hyvos and Amsterdam University)
This working paper examines ways in which regional conflicts, especially the relationship with Israel, have an influence on the resilience of the Syrian regime. It does so based upon the analytical notion of discourse, which examines the role of discursive assumptions and norms in framing social practices. The norms and mechanisms inbuilt within discourse contribute to the shaping of the choices and practices of political actors in many ways: by determining the range of possible action, by legitimising or ‘normalising’ behaviours, and by defining political correctness, thus enabling or disabling political practices.