Neo-Weberian Reading of Violent Non-State Actors: The Case of Hezbollah

Year 2023, , 155 - 173, 16.06.2023

Mustafa Yetim

https://doi.org/10.20991/allazimuth.1310477

Abstract

Multiple-actor reality and the impact of different units, except the states in
stratified structural relations, have become more apparent in recent international
relations. Specifically, the rising role of Violent Non-State Actors (VNSA) in
regions like the Middle East and North Africa, and their challenges to the sole
and central position of states, reinforced this idea. Hence, comprehending the
possible actorhood of these groups within the structural relations consisting of
internal and external realms necessitates alternative concepts and challenging
arguments. The Neo-Weberian approach, inspired by historical sociology, offers
a grounded and balanced analysis of actors. This approach puts state-society at
the center of attention and, thus, looks at all dimensions (both actor and structure)
of social relations as ingrained in the theory of structuration. In this way, it seems
to capture the complex interactions between actors and structural dynamics, as
well as the dynamic transformation of both ontological realities. Along this line,
this study intends to illuminate the intriguing aspects and certain advantages
of the structuration approach by scrutinizing Hezbollah’s agency, which is
a critical VNSA in the Middle East, and its impact on structural relations, as
well as its evolution over time. In other words, as a modest contribution to the
structuration literature, the mutual interaction between agent and structure is
explored via a unique case. This study argues that Hezbollah emerged as a result
of the preexisting structural realities and, during the process, it proved its agency
and influential role on these stratified structural dynamics. To substantiate these
theoretical arguments, the permissive structural conditions in the region and in
Lebanon will be explained, and then Hezbollah’s impact as an actor on these
structural realities will be surveyed with a special emphasis on Hezbollah’s role
over two regional dynamics: Arab uprisings, particularly the Syrian internal war,
and its now hegemonic position in Lebanese politics.

Keywords

Hezbollah, Violent Non-State Actors (VNSA), Neo-Weberian Approach

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