Recent political unrest in the Arab world led to the fall of robust and powerful regimes. Calls for freedom, democracy, and political reforms engulfed the region in a sea of protests that forced Tunisia’s President Zine Eddine Ben Ali to flee, toppled the regime of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, and led to the death of Moammar Gadhafi in Libya. Demands for change led to both peaceful protests and armed confrontations in Libya, Yemen, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and across the Arab world. Social movements are often caused by the convergence of social, economic and political oppression and hardship. Indeed, this has been the case in the Arab world, where government corruption, elite self-interest, and economic inequalities are evident.
In this class, we examine the uprisings in the Middle East generally and review cases through interactive discussions and course assignments. Analyzing the cases individually provides a context for understanding the conditions that led to civil unrest and exploring the new power structure in the Arab world.
The cases of the Arab Spring vary widely, and the students will consider common questions to create a usable frame of reference: Why have people organized? How have people organized into new political groups and organizations or joined existing ones? What is the outcome in each case? And, what will the future bring in each country? By the conclusion of the course, students will have a strong grasp of the social and political conditions that led to the Arab Spring, current dynamics, and possible outcomes.
This course can be regarded as an introductory class.