ARABIC “Social media, protest cultures and political subjectivities of the Arab spring”
“Volpi is right to warn against the imposition of ontological or normative frameworks on cultures and societies that may have distinct and potentially incompatible organizing principles. However, it does not follow that, by refusing to explain the constitution and development of Arab civil society in western terms, an alternative local and more authentic political subjectivity will become apparent. This relates to a common fallacy in the literature: that each society has distinct and intrinsic political ideals and ideal mechanisms for achieving them which will spontaneously come to fruition once the constraints of authoritarian government and western over-determination are eliminated.”
Read the article, carefully. It is a little bit long, but it is worth reading with a high degree of attention.
The article will give you a very clear and informative survey of the role of social media in shaping up/influencing politics/political views…
The passage above points to a very interesting issue. In simple terms, the issue is: How can Arab countries develop into democratic countries? 1.) By imposing on them the Western model of democracy, or, 2.) by removing authoritarian systems of governance?
What do you think of this complex question? Please, try to provide a well-thought response (based on your understanding of the discussion in the article).