Taking to the Streets

This edited volume consists of ten case studies framed by an introductionwritten by the two editors and a postscript written by Larry Diamond, a leadingscholar of democracy studies today. The Introduction, which places thevolume within the tradition of political sociology and political science, relatesexplicitly to the study of contentious politics and social movements.In doing so, it contributes to a trend in Middle Eastern studies that startedduring the early 2000s in analyses of Islamism and that seeks to add insightsto a field that has so far been relatively neglectful of the Middle Easterncontext.The book promises to “illuminate the concept of activism as an ongoingprocess, rather than a sudden burst of defiance” (back cover) by critically examiningthe ideas that the Arab Spring emerged “from nowhere” and wasdriven by “tech-savvy, disgruntled youth” (p. 2). It sets out to explore the natureof activism before, during, and after the uprisings, as well as how the ...