Discussion of Islamic Revolutionary Movements and the 2011 Arab Spring Revolts
Read De Fronzo, Chapters 8 and 11.
For a visual account, you may want to view Egypt: Children of the Revolution, created by the BBC in 2012. It is in our database, Films on Demand. If you review it, it can count as your third documentary review.
Choose one of the following sections of De Fronzo: 297-303 (bottom), 303-308 (middle), 308-314 (bottom), 316-323 to summarize and analyze on the discussion board. Analytical summaries should be approximately three paragraphs and should include the author’s main points as well as an analysis of this section, and how this information is relevant today. Post your short analytical summary of the De Fronzo section from Chapter 8, and and your answer to one question on the study guide assigned to you from Chapter 11 by Thursday, March 26th @ midnight. Graduate students should answer either #2 or #4 from Chapter 11. Graduate students who chose to read the Ghonim book rather than Ebadi, should post their brief review (250 word maximum) of the entire book by Thursday, March 26th @ midnight. By Saturday, March 28th at Noon, post a well reasoned comment to at least one of your classmates’ postings.
Estimated time: reading -5 hrs, writing summary, reviewing other students’ postings, and posting comments-3hrs. Total: (8 hrs.)
Chapter 11 questions:
1. Trace the pre-revolutionary political situation in Egypt and Iraq. Deanna, Chloe,
2. In general, how did DeFronzo’s “five essential factors” apply to the Arab Spring revolutions? Emerson, Jessica, Russell, Roy, Christina N.
3. Examine the specific causes and results of the Tunisian Revolution. Why do you think this Arab Spring Revolution appears to be the only one that resulted in a lasting democracy? Nelson, Vangie
4. Examine the specific causes and results of the Egyptian Revolution. Why do you think the Egyptian Revolution had a different result than the Tunisian Revolution. David, Jason, Valorie, Cristina-Marie
5. Assess what occurred in Syria, and why democracy was not established there. Angie, Ele
6. Analyze what occurred in Bahrain and its significance. Jen Wicka, Deanna