The Arab Revolts

The 2011 eruptions of popular discontent across the Arab world, popularly dubbed the Arab Spring, were local manifestations of a regional mass movement for democracy, freedom, and human dignity. Authoritarian regimes were either overthrown or put on notice that the old ways of oppressing their subjects would no longer be tolerated. These essays from Middle East Report―the leading source of timely reporting and insightful analysis of the region―cover events in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen. Written for a broad audience of students, policymakers, media analysts, and general readers, the collection reveals the underlying causes of the revolts by identifying key trends during the last two decades leading up to the recent insurrections.

David McMurray is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Oregon State University. His publications include In and Out of Morocco: Migration and Smuggling in a Frontier Boomtown.

Amanda Ufheil-Somers is Assistant Editor, Middle East Report, and a member of the editorial committee of the Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP).