Citation

Charrad MM, Zarrugh A, Ha HJ, Leitz L. Res. Soc. Mov. Confl. Change 2021; 44: 11-35.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Emerald Group Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

We examine frames expressed during the Arab Uprisings that toppled authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya in 2011. Through a visual analysis of 3,506 photographs taken at protest sites, we identify a new type of master frame, the "reclamation" master frame, in which protestors assert their right to what they feel they should have but has not been delivered or has been stolen from them by dictators. In the cases we consider, protestors reclaimed their right to (1) integrity of governance; (2) a proud nation, and (3) the dignity of the victims of state violence. They framed their struggle as a redefinition of the relationship between state and citizens. Identifying the master frame of reclamation as central to the Arab Uprisings, we argue that it helps us understand how protestors sustained mobilization over days and weeks in the face of brutal repressions. We suggest that it opens avenues for research on protests in authoritarian regimes.

Language: en

Keywords

Authoritarianism; Master frame; Protests; Reclamation; Social movements; Visual analysis