ARAB SPRING IN NORTH AFRICA:

STILL WINTER IN MOROCCO?

Rebecca S. Robinson

AUSACE

Atlanta, Georgia

November 19, 2012

THEORY: DIGITAL DIVIDE AND SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH Arab Spring created a media hailstorm

but nations that did not achieve complete revolution were overlooked

Morocco offers an interesting case study for social media researchers

Examine why OCA of Blogoma failed to explain how event would unfold

Argument: Fragmentation of society manifests online and off. Collective action frames of the Blogoma failed to resonate with the greater population.

METHODS Lead author’s ethnographic research

2007-2009: employed participant observation, content analysis, interviews, and surveys

This research oriented us to the primary concerns of the bloggers: civil liberties and freedom of speech, govt accountability

Updated in 2012 through the discussions of many of the same informants and they oriented us to new blogs

Examined dozens of blogs in English and French (Feb 20, referendum, elections)

DIGITAL DIVIDE AND MOROCCO Significant social, economic, political,

religious, linguistic, and ethnic distinctions

DD not so much the binary of un/linked (Selwyn 2004; Graham 2011) but similar societal divides manifest off/online or are exacerbated (Farrell 2012; Couldry 2012) Linguistic divide: even lower classes with

access may not contribute to BlogomaArabophone bloggers, at times from

divergent socio-economic backgrounds, less likely than Francophone to cover Mourtada and Erraji arrests

COLLECTIVE ACTION FRAMES “Homophily” reaffirms that interest of

group are most important issues (Farrell 2012)

Blogoma presents as a unified front although societal fragmentation prevalent

Diagnostic frames identified in earlier research: expand liberties and free speech through govt accountability

Prognostic frame: parliamentary monarchy

Benford and Snow (1988) salience and credibility most important

CA FRAMES CONT’ Bloggers part of media landscape so

clearly free speech important part of movementNot directly affected by poverty, illiteracy,

lack of services that preoccupy majority of population, which impedes salience

Regime started campaign to discredit protesters/bloggers as inauthentic Moroccans and called upon the true ones to uphold sacred institutions through votingPJD not implicated in past corruption so able

to maintain credibility unlike bloggers/protesters

ONLINE PUBLIC MOVES OFF Started as networking community in 2004

but began to exhibit solidarity of a collective, especially surrounding censorship issues: Google Earth, YouTube, Mourtada, Erraji

Less success in influencing politics (abstention/anti-PJD in 2007 elections)

Success in social initiatives: BlogonsUtile! and Gaza relief

1st survey: 18:21 said censorship issues were most important

2nd survey: 42 unanimously said Moroccans should be able to debate sacred institutions

ARAB SPRING Feb 20 resonates w/ Blogoma initiatives:

parliamentary monarchy free from arbitrary rule and special favors (grima)

Some linkages theoretical, others clearFormer informant, Hisham Almiraat, co-

founder of Mamfakinch—covers protests Feb 20 viral YouTube video offers various

reasons for protesting: freedom, equality, better living standards, education, labor rights, minority rights (Lalami 2011)

Regime responds w/ subsidies, jobs, reforms

WINTER Why did the protests not result in revolt? 1st: Alaouais have maintained popularity--

1,200 yo dynasty descends from Prophet, Moroccans inculcated with inseparability of God, state, and monarchy (Roumana 2011), regime scapegoating

2nd: King central to stability—April Marrakech bombing (M4C 2011)—against militants, used to squelch assembly (Hogan 2011)

3rd: part-time protesting (Imad 2011), movement splintering (37 orgs) (M4C 2011)

WINTER CONT’ 4th: middle class dubious of the ability of the

lower classes to participate in democracy (Tourabi 2011)

Blogoma/Feb 20 reject integration of religion into politics not likely to have voted for PJD, which has managed to avoid scandals

PJD promises to reduce poverty, increase wages, and fight corruption (Cabalmuse 2011), which are more concrete than Blogoma/Feb 20’s abstract ideas of liberties

Majority believe that PJD can reform system

CONCLUSION Majority of Moroccans voted for change

through PJD Islamic-oriented political parties have

offered services for years (Cohen and Jaidi 2008)

Not likely concerned PJD’s rumored changes: liquor sales, co-ed beaches, promoting hijab

Coalitions integral to effective politicking (Almiraat 2011)—hopefully expected change will be realized

The Arab Spring has not passed Morocco by: it is in hibernation for the winter