Socialising Hamas : evaluating the structural political developments in the Islamic Palestinian Resistance Movement as a ruling authority between 2006-2017

The ability of Hamas to remain in power since 2007 in light of the intertwining functional role of the resistance movement and its unrecognised ruling authority regionally and internationally, stimulated a research question of what are the dynamics and concepts that Hamas has developed in the context of interaction with the dominant political structure? Hamas was subjected to harsh regional and international conditions embodied in the principles of the Middle East Quartet. Hamas' refusal to accept the Quartet's conditions led to sanctions which characterised the governing structure of regional policies that Hamas has had to abide by. Hamas' adaptation to the normative politics of the structure fell within the framework of a socialisation strategy, which was established by a combination of centrist, anti- and pro-Hamas regional and international policies. The thesis attempts to answer the research question by examining the power of structure rules versus the agency of Hamas using experimental data extracted from extensive fieldwork and an interviewing process that covered almost the whole leadership cadre of Hamas. The socialisation strategy produced dynamic changes and conceptual transformations, as Hamas developed a political theory that approached that of the mainstream Palestinian national project, the two-state solution. However, regional and international policies had flaws and shortcomings, which made the socialisation strategy an incomplete process, as Hamas, after more than a decade of political interaction with the rules and pressures of the structure, did not fully adhere to the Quartet's conditions. Investigating the impact of the prevailing political norms on Hamas as a ruling resistance authority is significant for advancing the theoretical understanding that governs the behavioural and conceptual developments of political actors operating from within the structure, as the agency outside the structure appears to be more powerful in undermining an undesirable political order. Hamas in power is a unique model in Middle East politics that may account for the relationship between the Palestinians and Israel after three decades of faltering peace process, in which the colonial wanted to reshape the interactional paradox of the colonised.