ISBN: 978-1783605743

Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Zed Books, 2016
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 2.3 x 22.9 cm

The waves of protest that swept through the Arab world in 2011 and 2012 and the toppling of the Tunisian and Egyptian regimes have focused attention on the opposition to authoritarian regimes. In Jordan, between censorship, repression and election rigging, political activism is limited despite the democratic opening of 1989 and persisting exclusionary political systems. However, opposition does exist and different ways of protesting have emerged which sheds light on the political commitments in a repressive regime. Larzillere charts the path of longstanding activists and shows how opposition has shifted from underground movements to a heavily controlled public sphere. In this book they discuss their motivations, their commitments and the consequences it has had throughout their lives. These political journeys serve to highlight the general conditions for political activism in a repressive regime, but also the meaning individuals attach to their commitment and their chosen ideologies. How do future activists perceive different points of reference and how do they decide on their first affiliations? Support for a particular ideological orientation is linked to places of secondary socialization that are often where socialization for activism begins.