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'Social Currents in North Africa' offers multidisciplinary analyses of social phenomena unfolding in the Maghreb today. The contributors analyze the genealogies of contemporary North African behavioral and ideological norms, and offer insights into post-Arab Spring governance and today's social and political trends.

One of the core dominant events, in the Middle East in 21th century, was Arab Spring revolutions in 2010-2011. These revolutions aimed to achieve democracy and get rid of the dictator regimes in the Arab countries. No doubt that Arab Spring had political social and economic reasonable and significant impacts. This paper will examine various reflections on the Arab revolutions of the Arab Spring (2010-2011) through modern Arab poetry, focusing on four selected poems as cases of study. In addition to the aimed historical reading, this paper attempts to analyse the selected poems focusing literary and poetic methods, as well as language and diction, comparing between them. For diversity, while all the selected poems are modern Arabic poetry, one of the selected poems is the neo-classic Arabic poetry of Ibrāhīm Obaydī, and the three others are free verse poetry from Ahmed Matar, Musʿab al-Mūrādī, and Ahmad Msāʿdih. Methodologically, this study is analytic, comparative and inductive, relying relevant poems of the selected four poets. This paper suggests not only that the Arab Spring played a significant historical role in the Middle East, leading to intensive civil and non-civil armed conflicts, but also, Modern Arab poetry contributes to historical documenting immortalizing the Arab Spring revolutions including their aims and motivations, as well as their social political and cultural impacts.

Arab Spring -- Contents -- Introduction -- Tahrir as Heterotopia -- Beyond the Arab Spring -- Emergency Law and Hypergovernance -- The Promises and Limitations of Economic Protests in the West Bank -- Stability or Democracy? -- The Turkish Model for the Arab Spring -- Notes on Contributors

While toppling decades-old authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Libya, and Yemen took only months, rebuilding these states will likely take years. This work argues that to transition to sustainable peace and stability, these societies must engage in an inclusive national reconciliation process. Based on over 200 interviews with key figures in Tunisia, Libya, and Yemen, this text identifies the greatest drivers of the polarization afflicting each country and the specific national reconciliation processes that can best address them

Intro -- Acknowledgements -- 1. Introduction. The Arab Uprisings: Micro-Dynamics of Activism and Revolt between Change and Continuity-Fatima El-Issawi and Francesco Cavatorta -- Contents -- Part 1: Paths to Success, Paths to Failure: Democratic Transitions after the Arab Uprisings -- 2. The Democratic Transition in Tunisia: Three Keys to Understanding a Success Story-Nidhal Mekki -- 3. Post-2013 Egypt: On Delegitimising Democratic Demands-Amr Hamzawy -- 4. Syria: Causes and Consequences of the Popular Uprising-Salam Kawakibi -- 5. Libya: The Altered Resource Competition-Amir Magdy Kamel -- 6. The Moroccan Spring is Back: The Rif Hirak-Maati Monjib -- 7. Algeria -- or, The Limits of the Democratic Facade-Lahouari Addi -- Part 2: Dynamics of Change and Dynamics of Continuity: Social Transformations after the Uprisings -- 8. Guardians of Change-George Joffé -- 9. Politics: The Mainstream, the Marginal and the Alternative-Sarah Yerkes -- 10. Youth Activism and the Politics of 'Mediapreneurship': The Effects of Political Efficacy and Empowerment on Mediated Norm Conveyance in Tunisia and Morocco-Roxane Farmanfarmaian -- 11. Judicial Activism, Women's Rights and Cultural Change in Post-Uprising Tunisia-Amel Mili -- 12. The Secular-Islamist Divide in Tunisia: Myth or Reality?-Alessandra Bonci -- Contributors.

This study is premised on the notion that subnational undemocratic regimes (SURs) within countries not only differ among each other but that they maintain different relations with the federal government, which is why they are reproduced differently. The book argues that alternative pathways of SUR continuity result first and foremost from the capacity (or lack thereof) of democratic presidents to wield power over SURs and autocrats.

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Preface -- Introduction -- Explaining the Arab Spring -- A Regional Wave -- Military Behavior in the Arab Spring -- Decisions, Outcomes, and the Syrian Case -- Will and Capacity -- Military Structure and the Outcomes of Middle East Revolts -- The Plan of the Book -- 1. The Men with Guns -- Civil- Military Relations and Military Professionalism -- Coup- Proofing and Military Structure -- Identifying Military Structure -- Measuring Structural Features and Identifying Military Types -- Features, Methodology, and Other Variables -- Military Characteristics and Outcomes in the Uprising Phase -- Democratization, Revolution, and Civil War -- Conclusion -- 2. Tunisia: A Professional Military -- Historical Development -- Nationalism and Independence -- Bourguibism -- Bourguibism and the Military -- The Ben Ali Regime -- The Uprising -- The Transition -- Conclusion -- 3. Egypt: An Institutionalized/ Corporate Military -- Historical Development -- Nasser's Revolution and the Egyptian Military -- The Military Under Sadat and Mubarak -- The Uprising -- The Transition -- Conclusion -- 4. Bahrain: A Ruler/ Mercenary Military -- Historical Development -- Exclusion, Revolt, and Repression -- Military Structure -- The Uprising -- The Aftermath -- Conclusion -- 5. Libya: A Factionalized Military -- Historical Development -- The Jamahiriya -- Qaddafi and the Military -- The Uprising -- Transition and Fragmentation -- Conclusion -- 6. Syria: A Factionalized Military -- Historical Development -- Coup Politics -- The Assad Regime -- The Syrian Military -- The Uprising -- Civil War -- Conclusion -- 7. Yemen: A Factional Military -- Historical Background -- Northern Yemen -- The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen -- The Republic of Yemen -- The Military -- The Uprising.

The Arab Spring revolutions of 2011 sent shockwaves across the globe, mobilizing diaspora communities to organize forcefully against authoritarian regimes. Despite the important role that diasporas can play in influencing affairs in their countries of origin, little is known about when diaspora actors mobilize, how they intervene, or what makes them effective. This book addresses these questions, drawing on over 230 original interviews, fieldwork, and comparative analysis. Examining Libyan, Syrian, and Yemeni mobilization from the US and Great Britain before and during the revolutions, Dana M. Moss presents a new framework for understanding the transnational dynamics of contention and the social forces that either enable or suppress transnational activism.