Publication

This paper takes a bottom-up perspective to examine how ordinary people achieve security and explores their strategies of coping with violence and insecurity. The study of Afghan villages shows that the ways of gaining security are diverse, especially when considering the actors relied upon. The analysis of Nahr-e Saraj district in Helmand suggests three factors to influence this: The security-relevant behavior of those actors, the village's patronage networks and its internal cohesion. The implications of these findings can contribute to a better understanding of hybrid security regimes.