Publisher's Synopsis
Representing an innovative departure from current studies of Middle East politics and democratisation in general, this book employs new theories and concepts to the study of democracy and authoritarianism in the Arab world. It shifts the focus away from the traditional study of political institutional variables such as political parties, elite coalitions and electoral politics, to consider the ways in which political power operates through discourse. The author provides a fascinating examination of the role of non-state actors, specifically civil society, in the maintenance of or resistance to the predominant discourse that underpins authoritarian politics.
Drawing on Foucauldian notions of power and discourse, Gramscian concepts of civil society and hegemony, and post-colonial theories of identity, the book also introduces new concepts to the study of Middle East politics. As such the book makes an important contribution to current discussions on the role of non-state actors in shaping political processes.
