A Look Back at The 2011 Arab Revolts The Last Wave of Democratization, A Function of Capitalism, or A Challenge to Neoliberalism? A Multi-Factor Analysis

The 2011 Arab revolts have often been explained in a somewhat reductionist manner as the last \nchapter of Huntington’s democratization waves and a celebrated march toward secular-liberal democracy, or \nas part of a world-wide revolt against neo-liberal capitalism, or simply as a function of the global expansion \nof capitalism. Rather than reducing these complex events to a single overarching factors, this article argues \ninstead that they are better understood with reference to an interplay between global developments (changes in the international politico-military context) and local politico-economic, psychological, and cultural \ninfluences. I demonstrate this argument by focusing, from a macro-sociological perspective, on the major \npolitical-economic, technological, cultural, and psychological factors that helped shape the Arab revolts. \nThese include people’s reactions to inequality, lack of economic opportunities, and their demand for economic justice on the one hand, and their more general aspirations for social and political liberties and justice \non the other. The article also addresses the impact of information and communications technologies (ICTs) \non social mobilization and of religion on individual and political culture, and it further argues that these \nfactors were complemented by people’s search for dignity (karama) in the face of frustration with oppression \nas well as neoliberal social and economic policies

Capitalism · Democracy · Democratization · Development economics · Economic system · Economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Law · Socioeconomic Development in MENA