Taking to the Streets critically examines the conventional wisdom that the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings happened spontaneously and were directed by tech-savvy young revolutionaries. Pairing first-hand observations from activists with the critical perspectives of scholars, the book illuminates the concept of activism as an ongoing process, rather than a sudden burst of defiance. The contributors examine case studies from uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, evaluating the various manifestations of political activism within the context of each country's distinct sociopolitical landscape. The chapters include a country-specific timeline of the first year following the uprisings and conclude with lessons learned. First-hand observations include those of Libyan activist Rihab Elhaj, who reflects on how the revolution gave birth to Libyan civil society, as well as Syrian writer and human rights activist Khawla Dunia, who discusses how Syrians have tried to remain steadfast in their commitment to nonviolent resistance. A foreword by Prince Hicham Ben Abdallah El Alaoui-third in succession to the Moroccan throne and consulting professor at Stanford University's Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL)-provides a historical overview of activism in the Middle East and North Africa. A postscript from CDDRL director Larry Diamond distinguishes the study of activism from that of democratization. Taking to the Streets will be used in courses on Middle East politics and will be relevant to scholars and the general public interested in democratization, political change, and activism.
Lina Khatib is director of the Carnegie Middle East Center and was a co-founder of the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy, Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University. Ellen Lust is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and founding director of the Program on Governance and Local Development in the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University.
Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction. Reconsidering Activism in the Arab World: Arab Uprisings and Beyond Chapter 1. Architecture of Resistance in Tunisia Chapter 2. Egypt: A Decade of Ruptures Chapter 3. Activism and Civil War in Libya Chapter 4. Explaining Political Activism in Yemen Chapter 5. Activism in Syria: Between Nonviolence and Armed Resistance Chapter 6. Activism in Bahrain: Between Sectarian and Issue Politics Chapter 7. Morocco's Makhzen and the Haphazard Activists Chapter 8. Jordan: Evolving Activism in a Divided Society Chapter 9. Political Activism in Kuwait: Reform in Fits and Starts Chapter 10. No Spring in Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's Seemingly Impossible Revolution Postscript. From Activism to Democracy List of Contributors Index
Quite original. This book offers an authoritative account of events linked to the Arab Spring. To speak about country-specific dynamics, the coeditors have compiled a magnificent set of authors. Most impressive is that the chapters capture rich descriptive accounts of events that illuminate the political realities surrounding the events of the Arab Spring. -- Amaney A. Jamal, Princeton University
The volume is a welcome contribution to the literature on contentious politics and mobilization and should be equally valuable for university courses and scholars working on political sociology. -- Jacob Hoigilt American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences This volume will have a longer shelf life than many volumes about the uprisings because of its focus on providing a rich empirical context... It will be of interest to a broad readership and will be terrific in undergrad courses-I intend to use it myself... I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the uprisings, and particularly their genesis. -- Jillian Schwedler Middle East Journal
