In a current world of shifting global power balances, we also see a change in the nature of civil war. Three trends are emerging: (i) a further fragmentation of security landscapes, characterized by a proliferation of non-state actors; (ii) a privatization of security, leading to new legitimacy challenges; and (iii) an internationalization of war, with increasing direct involvement of individual states through support to one or more warring parties. Such trends require us to revisit existing perspectives on civil war. This research aims to further document and analyze the three trends through a number of specific cases, while also providing new theoretical frameworks. More specifically, the research aims to focus on the broader social context of civil war from a political-sociological framework of analysis.