The Political Aesthetics of Global Protest: The Arab Spring and Beyond - Softcover

Pnina Werbner; Martin Webb; Kathryn Spellman-Poots

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0748693351 ISBN 13: 9780748693351

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press, 2014

Synopsis

This explores the aesthetic dimensions of the Arab Spring and the worldwide protest movements that followed. From Egypt to India, and from Botswana to London, worker, youth and middle class rebellions have taken on the political and bureaucratic status quo. When most people can no longer earn a decent wage, they pit themselves against the privilege of small, wealthy and often corrupt elites. A remarkable feature of the protests from the Arab Spring onwards has been the importance of images, songs, videos, humour, satire and dramatic performances. This book explores the central role the aesthetic played in energising the massive mobilisations of young people, the disaffected, the middle classes and the apolitical silent majority. Discover how it fuelled solidarities and alliances among democrats, workers, trade unions, civil rights activists and opposition parties. It includes over 150 colour illustrations showing how visual media is used in protest movements across the globe. It offers a diversity of perspectives from political, media, visual, economic and linguistic anthropology, and the anthropology of work, art, social organisation and social movement. *Published in Association with the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations*

About this title

About the Author

Pnina Werber is Professor Emerita of Social Anthropology, Keele University. Martin Webb is Lecturer in Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Kathryn Spellman-Poots is Associate Professor at the Aga Khan University's Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations.

From the Back Cover

Explores the aesthetic dimensions of the Arab Spring and the protest movements that followedFrom Egypt to India, and from Botswana to London, worker, youth and middle class rebellions have taken on the political and bureaucratic status quo and the privilege of small, wealthy and often corrupt elites at a time when the majority can no longer earn a decent wage.A remarkable feature of the protests from the Arab Spring onwards has been the salience of images, songs, videos, humour, satire and dramatic performances. This book explores the central role the aesthetic played in energising the mass mobilisations of young people, the disaffected, the middle classes, the apolitical silent majority, as well as enabling solidarities and alliances among democrats, workers, trade unions, civil rights activists and opposition parties.Comparing the North African and Middle Eastern uprisings with protest movements such as Occupy, the authors bring to bear an anthropological and sociological approach from a variety of perspectives, illuminating the debate by drawing on a wide array of disciplinary expertise.Key FeaturesIncludes over 150 colour illustrations showing how visual media is used in protest movements across the globeOffers a diversity of perspectives from political, media, visual, economic and linguistic anthropology, and the anthropology of work, art, social organisation and social movementCase studies include protests about regime change (in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, and Russia), corruption (in India), the demise of the welfare state (in Spain, Israel, and Greece), a living wage (in Botswana, and Wisconsin) and the financial crisis and corporate greed (the Occupy movement in British and American cities)Pnina Werbner is Professor Emerita of Social Anthropology, Keele University.Martin Webb is Lecturer in Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London.Kathryn Spellman-Poots is Associate Professor at the Aga Khan University's Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations.

Edition details

• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0748693351
• ISBN 13: 9780748693351
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448
• Editor: Pnina Werbner, Martin Webb, Kathryn Spellman-Poots