Essays on protest mobilization in authoritarian regimes
[Thesis]
Zachary Caleb Steinert-Threlkeld
Hafner-Burton, Emilie M.; Fowler, James H.
University of California, San Diego
2016
266
Committee members: Broz, J. L.; Lake, David A.; Walter, Barbara F.
Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-1-339-76744-4
Ph.D.
Political Science
University of California, San Diego
2016
How do individuals in non-democracies organize collective action? Throughout history, it is common for those in power to structure society so as to make mass action highly unlikely; yet, from peasant revolts in the Middle Ages to urban arisings during the Arab Spring, individuals surmount these barriers. This dissertation argues that they surmount these barriers because mobilization occurs through interpersonal connections that connect individuals. These social networks transmit information necessary for protest mobilization, while state repression is most effective against institutions and prominent individuals.
Middle Eastern Studies; Political science
Social sciences;Arab Spring;Egypt;Protests;Social media