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The impact of social media on the Arab uprisings

Did social media facilitate and sustain contentious politics during the Arab uprisings? Many have speculated about this but it remains difficult to distinguish fact from hype. To examine these issues, Part I establishes the theoretical framework. This chapter theorizes that social media could potentially have four functions for mass uprisings: informational (spreading knowledge, awareness, and news), networking (coordinating collective actions and organizing movements), cultural (strengthening democratic aspirations and critical evaluations of regime performance) and behavioral (reinforcing the propensity for citizens to engage in protest acts challenging the regime). Part II outlines the survey evidence used to analyze the impact of social media in several diverse states in the Arab region. Data is drawn from representative surveys conducted by Zogby Research Services in September 2011, the Pew Global Attitudes Project surveys in spring 2010 and spring 2011, as well as the 2005‐8 wave of the World Values Survey. Part III examines this evidence to determine the functions of social media. The conclusion summarizes the key results and considers their implications

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