When debating the so-called “Arab Springs” – a wave of uprisings that has been shaking the Arab world and re-shaping its geopolitics since December, 2010, international media have often emphasised the role that social networks, particularly Facebook and Twitter, have allegedly played in boosting the revolts and ousting the ruling regimes, at least in the case of Tunisia and Egypt. Whether because it was deemed “catchy”, or as being “far easier to document than less virtual kinds of activism”, the tech dimension of the uprisings seems to have inspired many to talk about an emerging “democracy`s fourth wave” that has been nurtured by the Internet. In this framework the latter is understood as the “technology of freedom” par excellence; consequently, the participatory culture that it generates is interpreted as being quintessentially political, as if it intrinsically acted in the direction of democracy. This chapter problematises this approach, making it more nuanced by framing the debate on the Arab uprisings and, in general, on the relationship between contemporary social movements and new technologies in light of the following considerations. Our micro-ethnography of Arab Techies is situated in the wider framework of subcultural studies theories; it aims to contribute to the theoretical debate by suggesting that there is a shift from a class-oriented to a more medium-oriented approach in the study of contemporary social movements and political change.

Just a Bunch of (Arab) Geeks? How a "Techie" Elite Shaped a Digital Culture in the Arab Region and Contributed to the Making of the Arab Uprisings

VALERIANI, AUGUSTO
2017

Abstract

When debating the so-called “Arab Springs” – a wave of uprisings that has been shaking the Arab world and re-shaping its geopolitics since December, 2010, international media have often emphasised the role that social networks, particularly Facebook and Twitter, have allegedly played in boosting the revolts and ousting the ruling regimes, at least in the case of Tunisia and Egypt. Whether because it was deemed “catchy”, or as being “far easier to document than less virtual kinds of activism”, the tech dimension of the uprisings seems to have inspired many to talk about an emerging “democracy`s fourth wave” that has been nurtured by the Internet. In this framework the latter is understood as the “technology of freedom” par excellence; consequently, the participatory culture that it generates is interpreted as being quintessentially political, as if it intrinsically acted in the direction of democracy. This chapter problematises this approach, making it more nuanced by framing the debate on the Arab uprisings and, in general, on the relationship between contemporary social movements and new technologies in light of the following considerations. Our micro-ethnography of Arab Techies is situated in the wider framework of subcultural studies theories; it aims to contribute to the theoretical debate by suggesting that there is a shift from a class-oriented to a more medium-oriented approach in the study of contemporary social movements and political change.
2017
Arab Subcultures. Transformations in Theory and Practice
62
86
DELLA RATTA, DONATELLA; VALERIANI, AUGUSTO
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/587016
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