Online Arab Spring
Social Media and Fundamental Change

Online Arab Spring explores offline and online social networks and their effects in Middle Eastern countries, and includes a study of the future of these networks, using different scenarios.

Reza Jamali (Author)

9781843347576, Elsevier Science

Paperback / softback, published 13 December 2014

200 pages
23.3 x 15.6 x 1.4 cm, 0.15 kg

What is the role of social media on fundamental change in Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa? Online Arab Spring responds to this question, considering five countries: Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, and Tunisia, along with additional examples. The book asks why the penetration rate for social media differs in different countries: are psychological and social factors at play? Each chapter considers national identity, the legitimacy crisis, social capital, information and media literacy, and socialization. Religious attitudes are introduced as a key factor in social media, with Arabic countries in the Middle East and North Africa being characterized by Islamic trends. The insight gained will be helpful for analysing online social media effects internationally, and predicting future movements in a social context.

• List of figures
• List of tables
• About the author
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1. The origin of social media effects on countries' fundamental changes
  • Factors promoting social media penetration
  • Information literacy and media literacy
  • Mono-nationality and cultural exchanges
  • Soft war
  • References
  • Further reading
• 2. National identity, crises of legitimacy and penetration of social networks
  • Socialisation and national identity
  • Dimensions of national identity
  • References
  • Notes
• 3. Social media and social capital (with an emphasis on security)
  • Security and social capital
  • The role of political factors in social security
  • Factors in individual decision-making at the national level
  • Factors in participation in the security of society
  • Actual extent of the rule of law
  • References
• 4. Effects of information and media literacy in social movements
  • The complexity of the media
  • Literacy and political knowledge
  • Information literacy education in developing countries
  • Media literacy and critical thinking
  • References
  • Further reading
• 5. Religious attitudes in the cyber world
  • Religion and media
  • Islam, media and fighting oppression
  • Religion and social media: a mutual relationship
  • Religious democracy from a new viewpoint
  • Religious meritocracy
  • Islamic political parties
  • References
  • Notes
• 6. Country-social media intelligence: Towards a new index
  • Social media intelligence
  • Political market segmentation in the social media
  • Message design, media selection and message sending
  • Feedback and improvement on the message
  • References
  • Further reading
• 7. Strategic analysis and future strategies
  • Introduction
  • Analysis of political factors
  • Analysis of economic factors
  • Analysis of social factors
  • Analysis of technological and technical factors
  • Analysis of legal factors
  • Analysis of ethical factors
  • Strategies for the future
  • Overall conclusion
  • References
• Index

Subject Areas: Databases & the Web [UNN], Social networking [UDBS], Internet: general works [UBW]