Understanding social disruption in armed conflict: its significance for post-conflict reconstruction in Swat Valley, Pakistan

Abstract

ABSTRACT Addressing social issues that arise due to wars and how they impact on post-conflict reconstruction is an area of theoretical debate and policy interest. This article explores the social impact of the armed conflict which took place in Swat Valley, Pakistan from 2007–2009. Based on 28 in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions conducted in the valley, the article examines the damage to community life. The findings show that local institutions, societal values and social relations were dramatically impacted. The analysis led the researcher to term this impact social disruption, a phenomenon that is defined as an abrupt and forced change in the socio-cultural system. To reconstruct society, understanding and addressing social disruption holds a crucial position for local, national and international actors in the post-conflict period.