Date of Award

6-2012

Document Type

Open Access

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

Zoe Oxley

Language

English

Keywords

Arab Spring, social media, information, revolution

Abstract

Revolutions have occurred since the beginning of organized society. People have been deprived of certain essential rights, have collaborated about their grievances and formed coalitions to rise against the government. Knowing how previous rebellions have succeeded or failed can allow one to predict the success of another revolution. Today through the increased communication levels between countries around the world, more information is available to the average person and political ideologies of people can be changed through media. No longer are citizens content to be complacent and sit by while their leaders engage in corrupt actions that make those around them richer while the rest of the population lives in a state of poverty. In late 2010 and early 2011, people within the Arab world held similar grievances towards their governments and created a succession of protests that began in Tunisia and swept through North Africa and the Middle East. Protesters began by demanding changes to government policies and structures, but soon people in every country wanted new leadership and the resignation of their current ruler. This group of protests is known as the Arab Spring. While the increased communication technologies of satellite television, as well as non-state run programming has added to the transfer of ideas from one nation to another within the Arab region, social media has made discussing grievances even easier than television. In recent years social media, which is any technology or technique that can inspire and influence other individuals, has played a large role in politics. Social media includes social networking sites, blogging sites, and mobile phones. These devices allow for the spread of information to happen at a quick pace; furthermore, news can be received anywhere among those who have access to such technology. News, pictures and updates from friends are instantaneous. This is crucial during protests when events and circumstances are rapidly changing.

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