The violation of domestic privacy during war: The lived experiences of residents of a residential complex during the Twelve-Day war

Ghadimi, Akram; Karimizadeh, Somayeh

doi:10.22035/jicr.2026.3654.3862

The violation of domestic privacy during war: The lived experiences of residents of a residential complex during the Twelve-Day war

Document Type : Scientific Research Manuscript

Authors

Akram Ghadimi ¹

Somayeh Karimizadeh ²

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Future Studies of Science and Technology, National Research Institute for Science Policy, Tehran, Iran

² PhD in Sociology, Research Expert, National Research Institute for Science Policy, Tehran, Iran

10.22035/jicr.2026.3654.3862

Abstract

Beyond causing physical destruction, wars profoundly transform the deeper layers of civilians’ social lives. One relatively understudied dimension is the impact of military violence on residential spaces and the boundaries of everyday life. In human experience, the home is a place where feelings of security, identity, continuity of life, and social relationships are formed and sustained. An attack on residential space fundamentally transforms residents’ lived experiences of security, place, and everyday life. This study aims to examine these experiences in a residential complex during the Twelve-Day War and to analyze their social and symbolic implications for the boundaries of everyday life and residential space. The study employed a qualitative interpretive phenomenological approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews with 15 residents. The findings indicate that attacks on civilians’ residential spaces extend beyond physical destruction, resulting in the violation of the boundaries of everyday life, the erosion of security, and a transformation in the meaning of home. This situation is accompanied by a disruption in the temporal continuity of lived experience and the emergence of new forms of solidarity among residents. Based on these findings, the concept of “the violation of the boundaries of everyday life” describes a condition in which civilians’ living spaces become sites of military violence, causing the boundary between the safe space of residence and the battlefield to collapse. These findings underscore the importance of addressing the social consequences of war in residential areas and the need to protect civilians’ living spaces and everyday lives during armed conflicts.

Keywords

war

civilians

boundaries of everyday life

lived experience

ontological security

residential space

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