Revolution in the Age of Social Media

Starred review from July 1, 2014

Social anthropologist Herrera (education policy, organization, leadership, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) utilizes social media source material to explore the online discourse of activists leading up to the mass demonstrations in Cairo during the 2011 Egyptian uprising. Herrera sets out to cover the dynamic interplay among online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Readers are shown the complexities and dynamics of online youth culture in Egypt, particularly as they relate to Islam. The text surfaces polarizing dynamics within the online subcultures, exploring the threads of a peaceful front that sought to end police brutality, and the violent protests of the so-called "ultras," a group that sought to branch out from peaceful stand-ins. Throughout, readers are given source text pulled from the social networks, including instant message transcripts. VERDICT This book is for students of Internet activism. It shows that while social networks may prove to be a catalyst for demonstrations, the complexities of corporate interests, religious factors, the military, and government agents underpin revolution narratives in profound ways.--Jim Hahn, Univ. Lib., Univ. of Illinois, Urbana

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