The Arab Spring has already touched a number of countries around the whole world. Some people, who are not directly involved in the situation, want to know more about the reasons for the events. The native citizens try to understand their possible impact on the development of the events.
Academic authors and researchers offer different perspectives and explain why the revolution and resistance were sparked across the Arab region since 2010. In this memo, it is suggested to pay attention to the articles, the authors of which introduce different opinions about the Arab Spring and its connection to the economic issues.
Aday et al. focus on the uses of new media in the Arab Spring context and prove that attention is paid not by the protesters and those, who live in the Arab countries, but by the representatives of mass media outside the MENA (North Africa) and the Middle East regions (14).
Another opinion is offered in the article by Campante and Chor, where the authors defend the idea of the expansion of schooling and economic opportunities in regards to the Arab Spring uprisings (171).
The events that take place during the Arab Spring promote the creation of “an unusual window into the interaction between old and new media, as information flowed among outlets of both varieties” (Aday et al. 12). Some people want to participate in different protests and revolutions to protect their opinions and attitudes to the activities of different politicians, who are not able to solve the existing economic problems.
However, because of the geographical or some other reasons, they cannot be directly involved in the activities that were developed during the Arab Spring. Still, they find it appropriate to discuss the nuances and peculiarities of the events when the native inhabitants have to face the challenges connected with revolutions, protests, and demonstrations.
Aday et al. say nothing about the economic ranking and well-being of Arab countries. They explain that media is one of the main sources of information about the Arab Spring, its roots, and its peculiarities. Still, the authors of these sources may live far from the place where the events occur. Therefore, it is wrong to discuss the essence and effects of the revolutions from doubtful media sources.
The positive aspect of another article is the authors’ attention to education and its positive effects on the political development and democratization of nations (Campante and Chor 169).
The authors succeed in identifying one of the possible roots of the Arab Spring and say that “the Arab world indeed witnessed both substantial investment in education and poor labor market conditions” (Campante and Chor 181). Such a doubtful combination of factors leads to the discontents that make people act and organize the extremist groups to protect their rights and improve their living conditions.
In general, the extremist groups, discontents, and the desire to have more are the results of the economic instability and the necessity to make changes. Aday et al., as well as Campante and Chor, help to understand that people should write their own history, and it is wrong to believe that mass media or the representatives of other countries can offer credible information and explanations.
Therefore, only Arab media and the opinions of people who survived revolutions and debates should be taken for granted to comprehend the roots of the Arab Spring.
Works Cited
Aday, Sean, Henry Farrell, Deen Freelon, Marc Lynch, John Sides, and Michael Dewar. “Watching from Afar: Media Consumption Patterns Around the Arab Spring.” American Behavioral Scientist 20.10 (2013): 1-21. Print.
Campante, Filipe, R. and David Chor. “Why Was the Arab World Poised for Revolution?: Schooling, Economic Opportunities, and the Arab Spring.” The Journal of Economic Perspectives 26.2 (2012): 167-187. Print.