Introduction
The Arab Spring is a common name that describes a series of protest events that started in the Middle East in 2010. A number of countries and non-state actors became involved in these revolutionary sentiments, which escalated from mass demonstrations to civil wars. Regarding the causes and prerequisites that led to the events in the Middle East, the political theory of constructivism describes this wave of protests. This concept allows understanding the characteristic social and political processes and concluding that the concepts of freedom and religion are inseparable in the region under consideration, which, in turn, explains the constructive nature of revolutions.
Reasons and the Main Actors Involved
The Arab Spring has significantly changed the economic, political, and social priorities of the Middle East. According to Blakemore (2019), it began with the martyrdom of the fruit dealer Mohamed Bouazizi from Tunisia, who committed suicide due to corruption and abuse by the country’s officials. Almost immediately, with the start of the revolution in Tunisia, the protest wave spread to Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Syria, and then to other states of the Arab world (Blakemore, 2019). Among the officials involved in the massive scandals, one can mention the ruler of Tunisia, the President of Egypt, the Libyan leader, and the President of Yemen, who were violently overthrown (Blakemore, 2019). The uprising in Syria against its President also escalated into a civil war that continues to this day and includes many international participants, such as Russia and the United States (Blakemore, 2019). In addition, as Gabsi (2019) notes, non-state actors have become involved in the Arab Spring, such as the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute. As a result, mass uprisings have had a significant impact on the distribution of power and political forces in the region in question.
The Constructivist Theory
As a political theory describing the events of the Arab Spring, the concept of constructivism is best suited. In the Middle East, mass protests have a distinctive context due to their religious background. According to Martin (2019), identity is not homogeneous and often changes depending on factors that inhibit normal development. Residents of countries involved in protest movements were worried that their freedoms, social values, and religious norms were violated, which was unacceptable for them. Martin (2019) remarks that democracy in this region is accompanied by Islam as an essential aspect of people’s lives. Consequently, the violation of any of these pillars is fraught with discontent and the desire of the population to restore a constructive balance. In view of the differences from Western democracy in which liberal ideas are key, Eastern democracy is less flexible but, at the same time, more unambiguous. Therefore, the concept of constructivism, which became the basis of the Arab Spring, allowed the countries of the Middle East to change the course of their history. As a result, they got rid of a number of constraints and restrictions at the political, economic, and social levels.
Conclusion
While taking into account the inseparability of freedom from religion, the Arab Spring can be interpreted from the perspective of the constructivist theory as a concept that explains the characteristic traditions of the Middle East. A number of countries, officials, and non-state actors became involved in protest movements that spanned large areas and have lasted to this day. The course towards freedom through the preservation of religious values distinguishes Eastern democratic values from Western ones in many ways.
References
Blakemore, E. (2019). What was the Arab Spring and how did it spread? National Geographic. Web.
Gabsi, Z. (2019). Tunisia’s youth: Awakened identity and challenges post-Arab Spring. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 46(1), 68-87. Web.
Martin, N. (2019). From containment to realpolitik and back again: A realist constructivist analysis of Turkey-EU relations and the migration issue. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 57(6), 1349-1365. Web.