Seeking ontological security through thick narratives: Syrian civil war, ontological insecurity, and narratives

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00108367241269639

Civil war can change the narratives of a collective Self and damage some of its ontological security conditions, such as continuity, self-esteem, and consistency. Using a qualitative analysis of the Facebook pages visited widely by the residents of Salamieh City in Syria (a stronghold for Ismailis), this study shows how narratives of a collective Self (both local Salamieh and national Syrian Selves) have been generated to cope with threats to ontological security imposed by the ongoing civil war. Following our finding that the pro-regime and neutral pages could have used thin narratives of ontological security but instead sticked to thick narratives, we argue that thick narrative opens up possibilities to understand complex reality and generate a rich meaning-system and strong agency. Contrary to the claim that a simple Self is more ontologically secure because its narrative is easily kept continuous and routinized, this study shows that confronting reality and tolerating change through thick narratives despite the anxiety and pain the process generates, can provide ontological security in the future.