Political and social mobilization in the Middle East and North Africa after the 2011 uprisings

ABSTRACT

While it is true that authoritarian rule has reasserted itself across the MENA and that democracy is no longer as appealing to the public as it was in 2011 and 2012, this should not lead to the conclusion that MENA societies have simply returned to pre-2011 situation. Thus, while the authors of this special issue acknowledge important elements of continuity with the pre-2011 period, the articles in this special issue focus on the social and political mobilizations that the uprisings have brought to the fore despite the resilience of authoritarian, patriarchal, sectarian and class structures.

KEYWORDS:

• Arab uprisings
• social movements
• mobilization
• post-revolutionary activism

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Francesco Cavatorta

Francesco Cavatorta is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Laval University. His work focuses on Islamist parties, electoral behaviour, democratization and authoritarianism in the Middle East and North Africa.

Janine A. Clark

Janine A. Clark is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto at Mississauga. Her work focuses on decentralization and local politics, Islamist movements, civil society activism and women and politics in the Middle East and North Africa.