Social Crises in Algeria since 1989: Management Approaches and Modes of Resolving the Crises of the Arouch and Ghardaïa

In their historical evolution, human societies have been exposed to crises with numerous and diverse causes. Although it is difficult to enumerate all of these origins, crises are considered a natural phenomenon striking societies where political, economic, and social contradictions have developed to such an extent that change becomes inevitable. However, it is important to note that not all crises produce the same effects on the future of society. While some act as a corrective mechanism and are beneficial for social peace and coexistence, others are destructive, both in terms of state disintegration and the disorder they create.

A comprehensive analysis of the major upheavals of the 20th century, in particular, shows that crises, both in essence and in effect, are characterised by historical, anthropological, and entropic aspects.

Regarding the historical aspect, it is generally accepted that crises, in their various manifestations, act as a driving force for societal evolution. In this context, it must be emphasised that a crisis cannot be separated from a country’s history, as it constitutes reference points on which its memory and future are based. Studying it provides insight into a system’s weaknesses, resilience, and the outcomes of change. Except for developed nations, Southern countries often do not give much importance to the historical analysis of crises to develop public security policies from their experiences, which partly explains the recurrence of local conflicts and confrontations.

From an anthropological perspective, crises directly affect the human being in their entirety. Whether in economic conflicts, where the disadvantaged confront the owners of production means; against the state, when rulers restrict public space and deny citizens the exercise of freedom; or among social groups whose socialisation has not dissolved communal mentalities, crises shape and define the human condition politically, economically, and socially. In other words, crises construct and deconstruct social habitus.

Regarding the entropic dimension, a review of major crises in the 20th and 21st centuries shows how economic and technological progress, the complexity of social relations, and globalised exchanges have amplified the intensity of crises, widened their scope, and exponentially increased societal disorder. Currently, this dimension seems to serve as a paradigm for understanding the significance of crises and their effects on national security and political stability.

In the Arab region, including the Middle East and North Africa, the early 21st century was marked by the Arab Spring, which led to civil wars in some countries, even though they had previously exhibited institutional solidity. Other states, whose oil rents had mitigated shocks, still face destabilising risks. In this context, it is crucial to ask how some Arab states collapsed: was it due to a neglected, poorly resolved, or repressed social crisis whose accumulated pressures reached an irreversible level of tension?

While geopolitical factors influence the chaotic situation in Arab countries, internal crises should be considered the primary source of current upheavals, requiring a holistic approach that considers the state of crises, their diagnosis, causes, and the success or failure of their resolution.

In this context, we plan to conduct a project on crises in Algeria.

Like other developing countries, Algeria, pursuing a modernist path, has been exposed to conflicts arising from tensions between developmental aspirations and popular frustrations, as well as enduring societal archaic structures. While this is a natural phenomenon, it must be seen as a shock caused by changes imposed on a rigid reality, resistant to reform.

From the late 1960s, another factor emerged. The effects of socialist-oriented development policies on citizens’ material living standards, education, and public health increased national consciousness, prompting citizens to challenge the logic of state policies previously crafted in a monolithic manner. These two factors indicate two movements of the Algerian crisis: one from above (the state) and one from below (the citizen). However, these alone do not delineate the full scope of a crisis or identify all actors involved. In some conflicts, crises result from multiple actors pursuing their own interests. For example, in Ghardaïa, the conflict involves Ibadi communities, the Chambi, and authorities.

Although actors’ positions and actions are relevant to understanding crises, they are insufficient without considering political, economic, social, and identity causes, the crisis context, and the interaction of multiple factors.

Historical review shows Algeria has experienced four types of crises: political, economic, social, and identity-related.

Political crises usually involve elites in power but can accelerate broader crises when economic and social conditions reach a critical threshold.

Economic crises in Algeria occur when oil and gas rents, financing the economy, decline. Populations accustomed to certain living standards then protest, sometimes violently, threatening public order.

Social crises express general malaise, often with complex and interlinked causes. Their analysis requires understanding the context, interactions with prior crises, and effects on all societal segments.

Identity crises are difficult to locate in Algeria, though they often originate from social issues upon which political and identity claims are built, as in the Kabylie “Arouch affair.”

Since political pluralism was established on 29 February 1989, protests have become a quasi-systematic recourse for citizens asserting their rights, which, if unmanaged, can escalate into broader conflict. Therefore, it is essential to develop a sustainable crisis management policy based on an interdisciplinary approach to fully understand social crises, their causes, and challenges for governance.