Demand for Change (Social Movements)
In January 2011, an unprecedented event happened that shook the entire Arab world. The massive anti-government protest against President Hosni Mubarak’s 30 years of autocratic power that was plaque with corruption, poverty and unemployment. (Newman on page 459 said that “Social movement occurs when dissatisfied people see their condition as resulting from society’s inability to meet their needs”) was one of the biggest mass movement that Arab world has witnessed so far.
After days of protests and lack of support from the Western States such as the United States, Mubarak’s regime came to an abrupt end in February 2011. This protest triggered and inspired other Arab states with similar predicaments to demonstrate against their respective governments. As a result of this “reform movement” Egypt for the first time would be heading to the polls for parliamentary elections.
The actions of the Egyptians forced “social change” not only in Egypt but also in other monarchial and power- distance Arab countries.
Syria is another country currently facing political turmoil. The citizens of that country also demanded for a change from their corrupt leaders and with the consistent pressure mounted on the government by the leaders of other countries especially the West, and also the massive media coverage and exposure of the government's brutality against the ruling party oppositions and activists.
As a result, President Ali Abdullah Saleh finally succumbed to the pressure and agreed to divide cabinet posts with his opponents in a coalition government. All these developments wouldn’t have happened if the media had not played an active role of reporting, informing, and monitoring the struggles of the Syrians to the rest of the world.
Indeed technological innovation is an important tool of "social change". Whether the consequences of all these mass movements would transform the affected countries and satisfies the demand of these people for better or for worse is yet to be known. But what is clear is that a revolution for "social change" has just begun, “vox populi vox dei.”
While Egypt was going through its own reform, Libya the oil rich Arab country from North African also ousted President Mamman Ghadafi’s military government of more than 40 years.
Syria is another country currently facing political turmoil. The citizens of that country also demanded for a change from their corrupt leaders and with the consistent pressure mounted on the government by the leaders of other countries especially the West, and also the massive media coverage and exposure of the government's brutality against the ruling party oppositions and activists.
As a result, President Ali Abdullah Saleh finally succumbed to the pressure and agreed to divide cabinet posts with his opponents in a coalition government. All these developments wouldn’t have happened if the media had not played an active role of reporting, informing, and monitoring the struggles of the Syrians to the rest of the world.
Indeed technological innovation is an important tool of "social change". Whether the consequences of all these mass movements would transform the affected countries and satisfies the demand of these people for better or for worse is yet to be known. But what is clear is that a revolution for "social change" has just begun, “vox populi vox dei.”
I too am fascinated by the role media plays in "social change" and revolutions. Now it seems these events happen so fast, at the speed of twitter and internet. I see that now Russian citizens are using this technology to protest fraud in their recent elections, and their demonstrations are too big and too widespread (covering over 9 time zones) for the government to deny.
ReplyDeleteAnnaY
ReplyDeleteYou observation is right on point considering the fact that there are many ways to monitor current events and breaking news as it unfolds. Without a doubt Technological advancement has made the World a global village.
Social Media has been the force for political change in the Middle East. The impact of the internet on our globalized world has shaken things up in a good way, and it’s only begun.
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