The goal of this research is to explore the opportunities brought about by the use of new media in urban protests. Specifically, it investigates the use of the Internet in modern protest movements that failed to bring about the changes they sought, using Bahrain as a case study. The focus is put on urban movements that continue revolutionary activism off- and online in the sixth year after the failure of the Bahraini uprising. This research assesses the need to maintain an online presence for these cities and explains the goals of their online presence. The paper also aims to understand what type of variations exist within these urban movements; and analyzes the interplay between such online manifestations and online censorship. This research is based on the critical discourse analysis of web content and graphic representations produced by Bahraini activists on particular online sites pertaining to each city in question.
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June 2019
Research Article|
June 02 2019
Social Media and Urban Social Movements: The Anatomy of Continued Protest in Authoritarian Contexts
Magdalena Karolak
1Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Magdalena Karolak is Associate Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zayed University, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Her research interests include transformations of societies in the Arabian Gulf and comparative linguistics. Email: [email protected]
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Magdalena Karolak is Associate Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zayed University, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Her research interests include transformations of societies in the Arabian Gulf and comparative linguistics. Email: [email protected]
Contemporary Arab Affairs (2019) 12 (2): 25–52.
Citation
Magdalena Karolak; Social Media and Urban Social Movements: The Anatomy of Continued Protest in Authoritarian Contexts. Contemporary Arab Affairs 2 June 2019; 12 (2): 25–52. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/caa.2019.122002
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