Digital media and the acceleration of resistance

Findings from the 2010/11 Tunisian revolution

Bibliographic Data

ID10757201
AuthorsCraig Brown (0000-0003-1140-306X, Leeds Beckett University, corresponding author)
Year2019
Volume56
Issue3-4
Pages209-231
Publication date2019-10-21
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociologisk Forskning (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0038-0342 • E-ISSN: 2002-066X
PublisherSociologisk Forskning, Swedish Sociological Association (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.37062/sf.56.18810
OpenAlexW4285782026
LanguageEN
References cited26

This article is concerned with providing empirical evidence relating to the use of digital media and resistance during the so-called Arab Spring events. These events have been widely acknowledged as a case where digital media significantly contributed to the successful attainment of movements’ objectives. The use of such innovative technologies has been tied to the characteristics and, ultimately, the ends of these movements, with their ‘youthful’, ‘leaderless’ and ‘spontaneous’ nature reflecting Western-orientated practices. However, the analysis presented here utilises interview data obtained from participants in the 2010/11 Tunisian Revolution, detailing their perspectives and explanations of digital media’s role. The data and analysis show that while such technologies were a useful tool, their prominence has been exaggerated and offers a flawed understanding of the events. Rather, the social change being pursued during the Tunisian revolution was profound. Therefore, the deeper implications of the common emphasis on digital media in the literature is explored, with Rosa’s (2015) assessment of social acceleration being informative for elaborating on the nuances of these technologies’ use during the 2010/11 events

Digital media · Digital Revolution · Media studies · Political science · Resistance (ecology · Social media · Sociology · Law · Social Media and Politics

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access