The Arab Spring and Change in Willingness to Participate in Political Action in the Middle East

• In Event: 118 - Regular Session. Arab Refugees and Political Participation

Abstract

This study examines change in individuals’ reluctance to participate in political action in five Middle Eastern countries (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, and Turkey) using data from the 2005-2009 (5th) and 2010-2014 (6th) waves of the World Values Survey. Despite the high levels of political action observed in the Middle East during the Arab Spring, individuals in the region report greater reluctance to sign a petition, boycott, or demonstrate than individuals in other world regions, though the percentage willing to participate also varies by country. I examine the effect of personal characteristics and cultural and geopolitical attitudes on willingness to engage in political action at two time points, before and after the Arab Spring. Numerous differences in the factors predicting reluctance to protest are found between the two time points.

Authors

• Anne M. Price, Valdosta State University

• Katherine Meyer, The Ohio State University

• Helen M. Rizzo, American University-Cairo