Transformation of Arabic Identity during the Arabic Spring
Hüsamettin INA?

Abstract
Social movements many times may drustically change the national identities and perception of life. Even upheavels and social turmoils can accelarate this kind of identity transformations and wavings. The movements we encounter in Middle East is a stance against the dictatorships and anti-democratic governments in this region. These movements are really interesting because they derived from the peoples’ own initiatives and without any leader and maniplation. For this reason, these movements have been called as ‘Arabic Spring’ borrowed from the ‘Prag Spring of 1968’. Probably, these kinds of definitions and descriptions may reflect some early feelings and excitements because dictatorships and anti-democratic regimes couldn’t overtake yet. In this study, we will try to analyze the main socio-political parameters which shape these social movements and elaborate the changing character and transformations of Arabic identity towards the modernization/westernization issues and human rights demands.

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