The Arab Uprisings Project
Essential Readings
Uprisings, Resistance, and Popular Mobilization in the Middle East and North Africa
There is a growing literature on uprisings, resistance, and popular mobilization in the Middle East and North Africa. While much of the conventional wisdom on the region is top-down, researchers are slowing building up a more developed and diverse understanding of how oppressed and excluded groups of all kinds have struggled to change their conditions. One noteworthy development is a renewed interest in Gramscian approaches.
This short annotated list of Essential Readings in English offers some highlights from this multi- and inter-disciplinary literature, sorting contributions into various categories: (1) overviews and introductions, (2) major cases and episodes, (3) particular states, (4) interpretive frameworks and approaches, and (5) major themes.
View the full resource on MESPI.org
Compiled by John Chalcraft
This short annotated list of Essential Readings in English offers some highlights from this multi- and inter-disciplinary literature, sorting contributions into various categories: (1) overviews and introductions, (2) major cases and episodes, (3) particular states, (4) interpretive frameworks and approaches, and (5) major themes.
View the full resource on MESPI.org
Compiled by John Chalcraft
Revolutions in the Contemporary Middle East
In some ways, the outcome of the Arab Revolutions ten years later is a familiar tale from this history of revolutions, a combination of hope and disappointments. Tunisia remains a democracy, if one struggling with economic challenges and continuing threats of political instability. Other Arab regimes, from Egypt and Syria to Yemen and Libya, have reverted to harsh autocracies or remained mired in civil war. To those who have studied the past revolutions in Russia, Mexico, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, and Ukraine, this is largely what we should have expected: democratic outcomes are rare, and instability and dictatorship are the more common short-term outcomes of revolutionary upheaval. Yet there are new and specific elements in the Middle East: The Arab revolutions have unleashed Turkish assertions of its leading role in the Muslim world, echoing its Ottoman heritage and have led to a three-way competition between Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia for influence across the Middle East and North Africa. The larger revolutions in Egypt, Syria, and Yemen have reduced the significance of the Palestinian conflict with Israel, giving opportunities for Israel to expand its formal relations and informal cooperation with Arab nations. And the most extreme, radical Islamic threat—the so-called “Caliphate” of ISIS in Syria and Iraq—has been defeated and driven from the Middle East, only to resurface in multiple locations in Africa and South Asia. Accounts of the Arab Revolutions and the Middle East ten years later thus are predominantly pessimistic, as they chart major changes in the economies and politics of the region. Yet the aspirations for greater democracy remain; and despite the oppressive nature of most current regimes, those aspirations may yet resurface in the future.
The following readings provide the essential background to understanding these latest events. They range from general surveys of revolution to accounts of the particular events of 2011.
View the full resource on MESPI.org
Compiled by Jack Goldstone
The following readings provide the essential background to understanding these latest events. They range from general surveys of revolution to accounts of the particular events of 2011.
View the full resource on MESPI.org
Compiled by Jack Goldstone
Uprisings, Popular Protest, and Resistance
Middle East studies has traditionally paid more attention to the elite power than the people in subverting that power. The Essential Reading compiled by Lisa Anderson in Jadaliyya guides us to a fine collection of publications on the states and regimes in the Middle East since the 1970s. But serious works on contentious politics, social movements, and resistance in the region have been quite recent. Yet within a relatively short period, some significant historically-sophisticated and theoretically-informed works have appeared that go beyond approaching contentious politics simply in terms of ‘riots’, ‘mob action’ or mere religious reaction. They include regional and historical surveys, country studies, analyses of particular movements or acts of contention. Given that I am constrained by the limited essential and representative titles, some important works might have been omitted here. My emphasis is more on studies with regional scope rather than single country monographs; attention is also paid to theoretical contributions that are drawn on the experiences of the Middle East and North Africa. Finally, these publications are all in English language which inevitably excludes non-English scholarships which may be as valuable and insightful. I have looked at scholarship on contentious politics in terms of three repertoires: uprisings and revolutions, social movements, and everyday politics and resistance.
View the full resource on MESPI.org
Compiled by Asef Bayat
View the full resource on MESPI.org
Compiled by Asef Bayat
Resources in Development
Books
Most books on the topic, mainly in English, will be featured by theme/category
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Peer-Reviewed Articles
Nearly all peer-reviewed articles in English will be featured by theme/category
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Documentary and Film
A growing database of films and documentaries in various languages will be featured by theme/category
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Book ReviewsMost peer-reviewed and self-reviewed (NEW Text Out Now Series) reviews on the topic, mainly in English, will be featured by theme/category
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Essential Readings
These are annotated bibliographic selections by scholars on a theme or sub-theme related to the topic
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PodcastsAudio and Video podcasts, mainly in English, will be featured by theme/category
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