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Facebook Resistance? Understanding the Role of the Internet in the Arab Revolutions

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Oxford Internet Institute - Lectures and Seminars
Revolutions are currently sweeping the Arab world, from Tunisia to Egypt and Libya to Bahrain. The Internet has been reported as a key factor, but we in fact know little of its role in these revolutions.
Revolutions are currently sweeping the Arab world: from Tunisia to Egypt and Libya to Bahrain. After decades of dictatorship, mass mobilisations and strikes are bringing down presidents and redrawing constitutions. These mass revolts are inspirational throughout the world and have swiftly shattered the notion of passivity and complacency that has for long been coined as the 'Arab exception'. But the unfolding events raise many questions, most pressingly: what were the main reasons of this unprecedented turmoil. The role of the Internet has been reported as a key source. The soundbites that resonated during the Iran protests in 2009 - Twitter Revolution - were neatly echoed or replaced with new ones - Facebook Revolution. But despite the stormy debates taking place online and offline, fueled by the massive outpour of journalistic editorials about the impact of the Internet, we in fact know little of the empirical role of the Internet in these revolutions; neither in terms of Internet producers nor Internet consumers. In times of revolution, how can traditional academic frameworks regarding the social and political implications of the Internet help explain the dialectic between technology and social change as well as offering a way forward to the very people on the ground employing these new tools? These and other issues will be discussed by a panel of experts representing an interesting mix of academics and activists.

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Episode Information

Series
Oxford Internet Institute - Lectures and Seminars
People
Miriyam Aouragh
Noha Atef
Khaled Hroub
George Weyman
Keywords
Bahrain
mobilisation
revolution
iran
libya
consumers
Tunisia
Arab world
revolt
social change
collective action
Arab Spring
egypt
producers
social networks
Twitter Revolution
politics
technology
Facebook Revolution
Department: Oxford Internet Institute
Date Added: 12/03/2012
Duration: 01:03:05

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