Taking Syria�s coastal region as a case study, this research analyzes the local communities� responses to social change engendered by the conflict. It focuses on three emergent phenomena: the arrival of displaced Sunni populations to the Alawite-dominated coastal region; the changing economic relationships connecting and dividing the coast�s Alawites and Sunnis; the emergence of local governance initiatives reshaping the Alawite community�s relationship with the regime and the central state. On the basis of these observations, the study draws conclusions about the conflict�s impact on cross-sectarian relationships in local communities on the one hand, and the evolving relationship between local communities and central authorities�namely the Syrian regime and the state�on the other.