The Arab Uprisings Catalysts, Dynamics, and Trajectories [Hardcover]

The contributors to this excellent volume treat the tumultuous politics of the contemporary Arab world in exactly the way it should be treated: from multi-disciplinary perspectives and with a long view that minimizes the dangers of instant analysis based on current events. Rejecting monocausal explanations, this theoretically-rich collection illustrates the value of adopting a variety of analytical approaches to catalysts, dynamics and political trajectories alike. It is strongly recommended to anyone wishing to gain greater insight into the region and where it might be headed.The Arab uprisings have not generated a linear process of transition to democracy. Much strife and uncertainty remain, as the authors show. After reading this book, however, nobody will doubt that the changes taking place are profound and irreversible, and that the Arab world will never be the same.This collection of essays uses the term Arab Uprisings as the organizing frame to address numerous socio-cultural, economic, political, experiential, and communicative aspects of the uprisings. ?The text is organized around three themes: origins, experiences, and trajectories. The first section addresses catalyzing factors that help explain the emergence of the uprisings from various political, economic, and socio-cultural perspectives. The second section examines the functions and responses of diverse people, institutions, and ideologies during the initial years of the uprisings. It includes an in-depth case study on womens changing political situation in the catalyzing country of Tunisia, as well as discussions about the roles of political Islam, new mass media, and social networks in these rapidly changing contexts. The third section discusses cross-national implications and the multitude of repercussion the uprisings are having on the global system.The uprisings of 2011 have radically altered the political, economic, and social landscapes of the Middle East and North Africa. A clearer view l³&