The Role of Culture and Technology in Civil Society Promotion in the Middle East

A Case Study Approach

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3894726
AutoresSoumia Bardhan (0000-0003-2423-7857, Penn State University), Richard L Wood (0000-0002-9652-2481, University of New Mexico)
Año2015
Volumen24
Número1
Páginas111-138
Fecha de publicación2015-05-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaDigest of Middle East Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1060-4367 • E-ISSN: 1949-3606
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/dome.12061
OpenAlexW1937698333
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas14

For over a decade, the U.S. administration has been sponsoring capacity-building efforts focusing on technology to support democracy activists in Middle Eastern societies; such efforts have often fallen short in their effectiveness. In this article, using a case study approach, we argue that capacity-building efforts must be approached in a culture-specific manner. It is imperative to begin exploring the specific nature of civil society in different Middle Eastern societies and translate the Western concept of "civil society" into terms appropriate to Middle Eastern contexts. Based on a culture-specific understanding, programs involving technology to promote democratic institutions in Middle Eastern societies can be designed

Capacity building · Civil society · Democracy · Democracy promotion · Democratization · Middle East · Political science · Politics · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Law · Social Media and Politics · Social Science and Policy Research