“I Turned to Things That Mean More to Me”: Unpacking the Activist Trajectories of Syrians in Oslo

Abstract

The article examines how Syrians’ activist trajectories have evolved in exile contexts of small Syrian communities and limited mobilization structures. Based on in-depth interviews with Syrians in Oslo, I argue that the specific features of integration narratives, lack of community structures, and presence of solidarity infrastructures have produced locally embedded forms of activism. The participants reorganized their experiences of the uprising and antiregime activism into identity-based activism and acts of supporting community members. The article contributes to the emerging literature on Syrian activism in exile, concluding with conceptual pointers on the study of activist trajectories.