Social media and the social movements in the Middle East and North Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farid Shirazi
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of social media in communication discourse in the Islamic Middle East and North African (MENA) countries.Design/methodology/approachBy applying the theory of social networks and a method known as critical discourse analysis (CDA) this study investigates the role of social media in the recent waves of popular unrest in the MENA region.FindingsThis study finds that social media not only played an important role in citizens’ participation in communication discourse and mobilization, but also that these media activities intensified in part because of the authorities’ failing rationales against protesters, as shown in the four‐part CDA validity test.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited to a particular time frame covering the recent democratic discourse in the MENA region for the period 2009‐2011. While this research is limited to the case study of the MENA region, the author believes that lessons learned from this case study can be applied to other developing countries across the globe.Practical implicationsSocial media tools available via the internet have provided web users across the globe effective tools and services to share and disseminate information by interactively collaborating with each other in digital communities through blogs, social networking and video sharing sites. In this context, social networks are considered to be effective media for communication discourse. The intensive use of social media networks among citizens’ of the MENA region indicate that the internet has the potential to be a multivocal platform through which silenced and marginalized groups can have their voices heard.Originality/valueWhile the existing literature focuses largely on deploying Habermasian critical discourse analysis to media discourse within the context of democratic and well developed nations, this paper presents one of the few studies that extends the CDA method to non‐democratic countries. As such it contributes to the existing knowledge and understanding of the mobilizing effects of social media in communication discourse.

scholarly journals Role of Social Networks in the Spread of the Arabic Revolutions

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (SE) ◽  
pp. 309-317
Author(s):  
Ehsan Madmalil ◽  
Hamed Mohagheghnia
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Middle East ◽  
New Media ◽  
North Africa ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

Recent political developments in the Middle East and North Africa have been occurred in the globalization era. With the advent of globalization and the information revolution, human relations have been greatly altered. The impact of these developments is in such a way that the policy can be analyzed and classified into the periods of before and after the advent of the information technology. Accommodating a wide range of social and political actors in cyberspace, internet and social networks are means to advertise and promote political, social and cultural entities on the one hand and provide a source of political and social awareness on the other hand. They link the political activists to people, and finally provoke the actions of protest and mobilize protests. Hence, the role of the new social media such as the internet and social networks in the acceleration and continuity and expansion of the revolutionary developments in the Middle East and North Africa cannot be ignored. The role of the internet and new media in these revolutions has been so strong that some of them are called revolutions of Facebook and Twitter. Thus, in order to access the right results, you should understand the features and functions of social media, analyze their role in the development of revolutionary upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa. The current study is trying to explain the effect of social networks in the context of globalization on the formation and expansion of recent political developments in the Middle East and North Africa, for instance, in Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain.

From campfire to coliseum: motivations for using social networks

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Castro Pires de Souza Chimenti ◽  
Marco Aurelio de Souza Rodrigues ◽  
Marcelo Guedes Carneiro ◽  
Roberta Dias Campos
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Collective Narrative

Purpose Through a literature review, a gap has been identified regarding the role of competition as a driver of social network (SN) usage. This study aims to design to address this gap, seeking motivators for SN usage based on how SN consumption may be related to users’ experience of competition. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of competition in social media usage. Design/methodology/approach The authors used an exploratory qualitative approach, conducting a set of focus groups with young social media users. Data was analyzed with software. Findings Two new drivers for SN use are proposed, namely, competition and collective narrative. Research limitations/implications This is an exploratory study, and it does not seek to generalize results or quantify causal relationships among variables. Practical implications This paper offers SN managers a deeper understanding of key growth drivers for these media. Social implications This research can help society understand and debate the impacts of SNs on users’ lives, providing insights into drivers of excessive usage. Originality/value This paper proposes the following two SN usage drivers yet to be described in the literature: competition and collective narrative.

Play It Like Beckham!

2017 ◽  
pp. 43-61
Author(s):  
Sylvaine Castellano ◽  
Insaf Khelladi
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
The Impact

New opportunities and challenges are emerging thanks to the growing Internet importance and social media usage. Although practitioners have already recognized the strategic dimension of e-reputation and the power of social media, academic research is still in its infancy when it comes to e-reputation determinants in a social networks context. A study was conducted in the sports setting to explore the impact of social networks on the sportspeople's e-reputation. Whereas the study emphasized (1) the influence of social networks' perception on the sportspeople's e-reputation, and the neutral roles of (2) the motives for following sportspeople online, and (3) the negative content on the Internet, additional insights are formulated on maintaining, restoring and managing e-reputation on social networks. Finally, future research directions are suggested on the role of image to control e-reputation.

scholarly journals Online Temptations: COVID-19 and Religious Misinformation in the MENA Region

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630512094825
Author(s):  
Mahsa Alimardani ◽  
Mona Elswah
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Middle East ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Political Elite ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Social Media Platforms

During the coronavirus pandemic, religious misinformation has been found on social media platforms causing fear, confusion, and polluting the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s online sphere. Exploring cases of religious clickbait in the form of false hadiths and viral religious advice from religious figures entrenched in the MENA’s political elite, this essay discusses how new dynamics for religion in the age of the Internet are contributing to a uniquely regional and religious form of misinformation. This essay looks at how the phenomenon of religious misinformation is a defining characteristic of the MENA’s online sphere, becoming even more acute during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The responsibility of an ethnocentric consumer – nationalistic, patriotic or environmentally conscientious? A critical discourse analysis of “buy domestic” campaigns

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiia-Lotta Pekkanen ◽  
Visa Penttilä
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Corporate Responsibility ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Responsible Consumption ◽  
Consumer Responsibility ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe study examines the responsibilisation of an ethnocentric consumer in commercial, meta-organisational discourses. In addition to nationalistic and patriotic discourses, the focus is on wider conceptualisations of consumer responsibility.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses critical discourse analysis as a methodological approach to conduct an empirical case study on the texts of two producer-driven labelling campaigns.FindingsThe campaign texts create possibilities for ethnocentric consumption with positioning, argumentative and classificatory discourses. Patriotic responsibilisation is emphasised, together with rationales to take action on environmental concerns.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the responsibility of marketers over their corporate responsibility communication, suggesting that ethnocentric promotions may have the power to alter how consumers take action on various responsibility concerns.Social implicationsThe study surfaces the tensions that responsible consumption can entail for consumers. Indeed, nationalistic and patriotic discourses may alter our understanding of responsibility issues that may seem completely separate from the concepts of nationalism and patriotism.Originality/valueThe paper shows how different organisational texts are deployed to bring about the idea of ethnocentric consumption and how this relates to responsibility discourses, nationalism and patriotism.

scholarly journals A Social Networks Approach to Viral Advertising: The Role of Primary, Contextual, and Low Influencers

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630511984751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itai Himelboim ◽  
Guy J. Golan
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Online Advertising ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Advertising Content ◽  
Viral Advertising

The diffusion of social networking platforms ushered in a new age of peer-to-peer distributed online advertising content, widely referred to as viral advertising. The current study proposes a social networks approach to the study of viral advertising and identifying influencers. Expanding beyond the conventional retweets metrics to include Twitter mentions as connection in the network, this study identifies three groups of influencers, based on their connectivity in their networks: Hubs, or highly retweeted users, are Primary Influencers; Bridges, or highly mentioned users who associate connect users who would otherwise be disconnected, are Contextual Influencers, and Isolates are the Low Influence users. Each of these users’ roles in viral advertising is discussed and illustrated through the Heineken’s Worlds Apart campaign as a case study. Providing a unique examination of viral advertising from a network paradigm, our study advances scholarship on social media influencers and their contribution to content virality on digital platforms.

scholarly journals Man-Eating Teddy Bears of the Scrub: Exploring the Australian Drop Bear Urban Legend

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Livingston ◽  
Felise Goldfinch ◽  
Rhian Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Popular Media ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Cautionary Tale ◽  
Urban Legends ◽  
Blood Sucking ◽  
Urban Legend

Urban legends are contemporary forms of folklore that are often used to provide lessons in morality or explicate local beliefs, dangers, or customs. In Australia, one such tale describes fiendish, carnivorous, blood-sucking koala-like animals that launch themselves from trees at unsuspecting tourists in the Australian scrub. The drop bear (also known as <em>Thylarctos plummetus</em> or <em>Thylarctos plummetus vampirus</em>) is an urban legend common to tropical Australian scrub regions that serves as a cautionary tale intended to warn against the dangers associated with traversing the Australian bush. As such, the figure of the drop bear represents a uniquely Australian manifestation of the vampire motif. This article examines representations of the drop bear urban legend as provided in contemporary pseudo-scientific, satirical, and popular media sources by means of critical discourse analysis, in addition to exploring how archaeological evidence has been mobilised in support of drop bear narratives. Through a critical review of drop bear tales in accordance with established folklore typologies the paper posits a categorisation of drop bear narratives as urban legend, while also explicating the impacts of social media and the internet on the perpetuation and dissemination of the drop bear legend.

scholarly journals Strategies for Luxury Fashion Brands' Targeting the Young Audience

2017 ◽  
pp. 121-157
Author(s):  
Carmen Moreno-Gavara ◽  
Ana Jiménez-Zarco
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young People ◽  
Consumer Behaviour ◽  
Brand Strategy ◽  
The Internet ◽  
South Korean ◽  
High Level ◽  
Entertainment Products

The purpose of this chapter is to analyse luxury fashion brands' interactions with consumers, especially on social media. In this sense, we firstly propose a hypothesis relative to how luxury fashion brands can use celebrities (in general, and particularly music and TV idols) and social media to influence on young consumer behaviour. Lately, we try to response this question through a case study based on one of the most South Korean luxury fashion brands. Using members of social media has been a constant in brand strategy. Especially when targeting the young audience. They big consumers and fans of music and audio-visual entertainment products, show a high level of loyalty. This leads them to copy the behaviour and consumption of the same products and brands of their idols. They are big users of social media and the Internet, where they express their feelings, experiences and opinions about their music idols as well as the brands and products they use. This being the case, technology offers empowerment to young people. This allows them not only access to more information but allows the possibility to create their own new content. Thus both roles are important regarding branding. We can use the example of how Korean luxury fashion brands and how they use young music idols to establish a strong emotional relationship with their consumers. They do this by increasing their participation and involvement with their brands in social networks.

The role of social media in strengthening civic engagement in the Middle East and North Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allam Ahmed ◽  
Omer Gibreel
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Digital Natives ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis article explores the current trends in civic engagement in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region after a decade of social media growth in the region.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is based on a case studies approach. In these case studies, the authors use an exploratory approach to case study research. The authors employ a mixed-method approach to exploring the development of civic engagement in the MENA region.FindingsThe study’s finding shows that the MENA region's social media growth has enabled digital natives to play a vital role in enriching and empowering their communities and their lives.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper could have explored more examples from around the MENA region.Practical implicationsThe paper's practical significance is the understanding that the ground is shifting around Internet access and how digital natives in the MENA region are employing it for their civic engagement initiative. It is an important indication that the MENA region's next innovation could be in the civic engagement arena. Unlike their parents, who are digital immigrants, these young and energetic digital natives are out to shape all aspects of their lives. Paving the way for more innovative and creative ways of civic engagement in the MENA region.Originality/valueThe paper explores civic engagement development in the MENA region, shedding light on the issues concerning MENA region youth such as cleaning the environment, waste and food recycling, combating extremism, developing education curricula and even promoting peace. The paper's value is that it gives an update on civic engagement in the MENA region.

‘Kony is so last month’ – lessons from social media stunt ‘Kony 2012’

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina E. Rauxloh
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
International Criminal Court ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
The Internet ◽  
International Criminal Justice ◽  
Public Beliefs ◽  
Online Activism

This chapter explores the role of social media in the creation of myths and public beliefs about justice and law. Using the case study of the YouTube clip Kony 2012 the author identifies a number of myths and public beliefs this video creates and sustains, looking at three principal myths, namely the myths regarding the background and facts of the armed conflict and the current situation in Uganda, the myths regarding possible military and legal solutions and last but not least the myth surrounding the effectiveness of online activism itself. Rauxloh argues that the portrayal of a very long and complex conflict as simply a war of good versus evil and the presented solution of the “mighty West” helping the “helpless Africa” perpetuates dangerous stereotypes which are in direct contradiction to the aims of international criminal justice in general and the International Criminal Court in particular. It is also argued that one of the most damaging myths is the notion of the internet as the freely accessible democratic forum which opens up the power of voice to everybody. Rauxloh warns that social media have an unprecedented potential for creating, spreading and perpetuating myths and public beliefs.

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