Sociology
Sediqeh Piri; Ahmad Ghiasvand; Mohammad Basirat
Abstract
One of the significant socio-political ruptures in Afghanistan occurred when the Taliban seized power for the second time. This development disrupted the country's political structure and social order, plunging society into chaos. Among the various social groups, military personnel experienced ...
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One of the significant socio-political ruptures in Afghanistan occurred when the Taliban seized power for the second time. This development disrupted the country's political structure and social order, plunging society into chaos. Among the various social groups, military personnel experienced particularly challenging conditions, as they found themselves facing those they had fought against for years, leaving them with no choice but to flee. This article aims to explore the narratives of this group's shifting social status and position. The research field includes 20 military individuals who fled to Iran following the collapse of the Afghan government. The study employs thematic analysis. Key theoretical concepts include stratification, status, status anxiety, habitus, and social trajectory. The overarching themes identified in the study are: the nightmare of retaliation; arduous and monotonous labor; the emergence of hysteresis habitus; longing for lost values; statelessness and the gradual demise of a soldier; feelings of helplessness and the loss of life's meaning; and displacement and social distress. Military personnel endure a wide range of psychological and emotional injuries that, while not fatal like war, are nonetheless traumatic. The profound collapse resulting from the erosion of their core values and status constitutes one such traumatic impact.
Keywords: Military Personnel, Afghanistan, War, Migrant, Status, Habitus, Iran.
Problem Statement
Afghanistan has experienced extensive political, social, and economic changes in recent decades. With the fall of the previous government and the takeover by the Taliban, fundamental changes occurred in social and political structures, pushing many social groups, particularly military personnel, to the margins. The military forces of the former government, who had fought for twenty years against the Taliban to secure the country, now face serious physical and social risks. These developments forced them to migrate. Upon entering Iran, they found themselves in a position lower than their previous social status. This research seeks to explore the status changes of these military migrants and examines how these transformations have impacted their lives.
Theoretical Framework
This study draws on Max Weber's theories of social stratification, the concept of social status, and Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus.
Research Methodology
This qualitative research uses thematic analysis. The study sample includes 20 military personnel who migrated to Iran after the fall of the Afghan government. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed in three stages: description, reduction, and interpretation.
Findings
The study identified seven key themes:
- Nightmare of Retaliation: Migrant military personnel suffer from threats to their lives and social standing from the Taliban. Many of them, even in Iran, do not feel secure and are fearful for their lives and their families.
- Hard and Monotonous Work: Former soldiers in Iran take on exhausting jobs such as construction labor, plastic recycling, and security work, which have no connection to their previous skills and status.
- Emergence of Incompatible Habitus: Losing their military jobs and entering new work environments with different expectations and values has created many inconsistencies for them.
- Longing for Lost Values: Participants consider the loss of social status and military ideals as the greatest blow to their lives.
- Statelessness and Gradual Death: The distance from their homeland and the lack of belonging to the new community has created a sense of identity loss and grief among the migrant military personnel.
- Feelings of Helplessness and Meaninglessness in Life: Former soldiers have lost hope and motivation to continue living due to unfavorable economic and social conditions.
- Displacement and Social Distress: Social pressures, negative labels, and feelings of rejection from the host community have exposed them to psychological and social challenges.
Conclusion
The political and social transformations in Afghanistan, especially after the fall of the previous government and the rise of the Taliban, have had profound and widespread effects on various social groups. These changes have specifically affected the military personnel of the former government, causing fundamental shifts in their social, economic, and psychological positions. Former soldiers, who once held high status in the previous Afghan government, lost their social status after the collapse of the government and were forced to migrate to Iran. In the host community, they are no longer seen as important or valued, and most of them engage in non-specialized and hard jobs such as construction labor, plastic recycling, or security work. This sudden change has led to an identity collapse and status anxiety.
According to Bourdieu's theory, the habitus formed during their military career has become ineffective in the new environment. Former soldiers, accustomed to order, authority, and respect, now face disorder, instability, and scarcity of resources in their new environment. This incompatibility between their expectations and the new reality has led to psychological, social, and emotional crises. For these military personnel, the concept of homeland is central and sacred, and losing it has brought a sense of statelessness and exile. This feeling, compounded by the distance from their families and concerns about the safety of their relatives from Taliban threats, has caused significant psychological distress.
Migrant military personnel, who once saw themselves as protectors of national values, now live without a homeland and without meaningful social identity. Former soldiers are facing a range of psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, and a sense of meaninglessness. These issues stem from difficult economic conditions, loss of social status, and the feeling of rejection by the host community. Negative social labels, such as being considered a deserter or traitor, further exacerbate these psychological wounds.
Exhausting and difficult work, low wages, and job insecurity have placed heavy economic pressures on the military personnel. Taliban threats against former military personnel and their families, not only in Afghanistan but also in Iran, have kept them in a constant state of fear. These threats, especially for those who served in elite military units, have turned into a "nightmare of retaliation."
Overall, this research shows that Afghan military migrants have fallen victim to broad political and social transformations that have stripped them of their previous social status and position. While the host community also faces numerous challenges, the implementation of coordinated programs to support this vulnerable group can help alleviate the consequences of the migration crisis and provide a foundation for their gradual reintegration into a meaningful life.
Mahdokht Boroujerdi Alavi; Mohsen Habibi
seyedmohamad mehdizadeh
