DOCSLIB.ORG

The Quality of Political Deliberation on Twitter

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Quality of Political Deliberation on Twitter The Quality of Political Deliberation on Twitter Jareh Alotaibi A thesis submitted in partial of the requirements of University of East Anglia for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA Copyright: This work is the intellectual property of the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed in the owner(s) of the Intellectual Property Rights. 1 Abstract This thesis explores how Twitter users discuss political issues in Saudi Arabia and how social and religious values impact on the quality of deliberation. Its three case studies are: women’s political participation; the housing shortage in Saudi Arabia; and unlawful use of public property. Based on the analyses of 12,093 tweets and 27 interviews with Twitter users in Saudi Arabia, this thesis argues that public debate is rational, respectful, focused and diverse. Both men and women participate in and exchange a range of attitudes towards government decisions. There is evidence to suggest that Twitter users criticise and challenge officials, clerics and established social values. Based on these findings, this thesis suggests that public deliberation about sensitive issues in Saudi society corresponds with key elements of public deliberation as it is envisioned in Western theories of citizen engagement in the public sphere. Some Twitter users perceive this kind of participation as an act of good citizenship. The analysis of tweets and interviews in this study demonstrate Twitter users’ sense of connectedness towards their society and fellow citizens. On the other hand, the results also confirmed that the quality of political deliberation is impacted on by government censorship, Twitter users’ self- censorship and social and religious values. 2 Acknowledgments Thanks to God for giving me the courage to complete this thesis. I am deeply grateful to my supervisor Dr. Sanna Inthorn for her support and encouragement during the period of my research, where she provided me with great advice at all stages. A special thanks and appreciation: to my parents Ushba and Fares and my brothers and sisters. I would like to deeply thank my family, Sayea, Fawziah, Abduallah, Shoq, and Fares for their continuous support and encouragement. Finally, I would like to thank all of my friends, relatives and colleagues who have consistently provided support and friendship. Without their prayers, I would not be where I am today. 3 Contents Abstract...................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... 3 List of Figures ...........................................................................................................................10 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................13 Chapter 1 ..................................................................................................................................15 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................15 1.2 Research Contribution ........................................................................................................17 1.3 Research Rationale .............................................................................................................18 1.4 Research Methodology: ......................................................................................................20 1.5 Research Questions: ...........................................................................................................21 1.6 Research Organization:.......................................................................................................22 1.7 The Structure of the Research: ...........................................................................................23 Chapter 2 ..................................................................................................................................25 The Political Sphere of Saudi Arabia .........................................................................................25 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................25 2.1.1 Saudi Arabia: A Nation’s Profile ................................................................................25 2.1.2 The Demographics ....................................................................................................27 2.1.3 The Political System of Saudi Arabia .........................................................................28 2.1.4 The Basic Law of Governance ..................................................................................30 2.1.5 The Council of Ministers ............................................................................................32 2.1.6 The Saudi Parliament ................................................................................................33 2.1.7 Municipal Elections ...................................................................................................35 2.2 The Media System in Saudi Arabia ..................................................................................38 2.2.1 Saudi Newspapers, Radio and TV ............................................................................39 2.2.2 Saudi Media Laws and Regulations ..........................................................................42 4 2.3 Political deliberation on Twitter in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia ...............................45 2.4 The three case studies ....................................................................................................50 2.4.1 Women’s Position in Saudi Arabia ............................................................................51 2.4.2 The Housing Shortage ..............................................................................................58 2.4.3 Opposing Unlawful Use of Public Property in Saudi Arabia .......................................61 2.4.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................63 Chapter 3 ..................................................................................................................................64 Deliberative Democracy ............................................................................................................64 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................64 3.2 Deliberation .....................................................................................................................64 3.3 Types of Deliberation .......................................................................................................66 3.4 The Positives and Negatives of Deliberation ....................................................................67 3.5 Evaluating Deliberation ....................................................................................................70 3.6 Criteria for Assessing the Quality of the Deliberation .......................................................71 3.6.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................71 3.6.2 Rationality .................................................................................................................71 3.6.3 Reciprocity ................................................................................................................74 3.6.4 Respect .....................................................................................................................75 3.6.5 Diversity ....................................................................................................................76 3.6.6 Relevance of the Posts to the Discussion Topic ........................................................77 3.6.7 Openness..................................................................................................................77 3.7 Media and Deliberative Democracy .................................................................................79 3.8 Influence of Social Media and Government Restrictions on the Nature of Deliberation ....80 3.9 Citizenship .......................................................................................................................82 3.10 Conclusion .....................................................................................................................85 Chapter 4 ..................................................................................................................................86 Study Design, Process and Methodology ..................................................................................86 5 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................86 4.2
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Political Liberation in the Arab World Hearing
    REDEFINING BOUNDARIES: POLITICAL LIBERATION IN THE ARAB WORLD HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION APRIL 21, 2005 Serial No. 109–81 Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international—relations U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 20–788PDF WASHINGTON : 2005 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Mar 21 2002 10:45 Nov 17, 2005 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 F:\WORK\FULL\042105\20788.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa TOM LANTOS, California CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, HOWARD L. BERMAN, California Vice Chairman GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York DAN BURTON, Indiana ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American ELTON GALLEGLY, California Samoa ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey DANA ROHRABACHER, California ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey EDWARD R. ROYCE, California SHERROD BROWN, Ohio PETER T. KING, New York BRAD SHERMAN, California STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ROBERT WEXLER, Florida THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York RON PAUL, Texas WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts DARRELL ISSA, California GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York JEFF FLAKE, Arizona BARBARA LEE, California JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York MARK GREEN, Wisconsin EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon JERRY WELLER, Illinois SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada MIKE PENCE, Indiana GRACE F.
    [Show full text]
  • Maritime Boundary Agreements 172 6.1 Introduction 172 6.2 Saudi-Bahrain 1958 Agreement 172 6.2.1 Historic Background 174 6.2.2 Boundary Delimitation 176
    Durham E-Theses Maritime boundary delimitation of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia a study in political geography Al-Muwaled, Faraj Mobarak Jam'an How to cite: Al-Muwaled, Faraj Mobarak Jam'an (1993) Maritime boundary delimitation of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia a study in political geography, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10368/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 MARITIME BOUNDARY DELIMITATION OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA A STUDY IN POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY Fara.i Mobarak Jam'an AI-Muwaled The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Science in the Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Durham, U.K.
    [Show full text]
  • Applying the Creative City Concept to Makkah
    Urban Transformation Through Creativity: Applying the Creative City Concept to Makkah Saeed A. Alamoudy A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Media at the University of Salford School of Arts and Media 1 Table of Contents List of Tables ............................................................................................................6 List of Figures...........................................................................................................7 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................9 Abstract .................................................................................................................. 10 Publications ............................................................................................................ 11 Papers presented .................................................................................................... 11 Conference Co-organiser ....................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................... 12 Research Aim ................................................................................................................ 12 Research objectives ....................................................................................................... 12 Research Rationale .......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Gulf and Sectarianism
    ANALYSIS GULF THE GULF AND SECTARIANISM Introduction by Fatima Ayub ABOUT By virtue of their confined political environments, the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and their most important neighbours often remain impenetrable to domestic and Has the Arab Awakening degenerated into a nightmare? foreign observers. And yet, the evolving politics After its first experiment with credible elections, Egypt has of Peninsula countries, their relationship to reverted to the strongman politics of the deep state. A free one another and to the wider region, pose Libya looks to be in free fall. Yemen’s managed political some of the most significant and unanswered transition is stagnating. Bahrain’s national reconciliation questions for the changing geopolitics of the is less a dialogue than a monologue by its self-assured Middle East. Gulf politics are entering the monarchs. Syria is unravelling into an ever more divisive most unpredictable and volatile era since their and brutal internecine conflict, jeopardising the political establishment. and economic health of already anaemic Lebanon and Jordan. The war in Iraq, metastasizing anew as the Arab Understanding these new trends as they Awakening triggers new power struggles around it, claims unfold will be critical if Europeans and other hundreds of dead each month as it fuses with the war on its international actors intend to rely on the Gulf western border. Perhaps the most worrying trend is that of states as financial and political partners in the sectarianism and in particular the re-emergence of identity region. In the coming decade, the Gulf states politics along the Shia-Sunni divide.
    [Show full text]
  • Monthly Bulletin
    MONTHLY BULLETIN MIDDLE EAST PUBLISHERS’ VOLUME 31, ISSUE 31 MARCH, 2009 MEPA'S OBJECTIVES: NEWS UPDATE • To encourage the widest possible spread of publications throughout MEDIA PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR; AMF HONOURS Middle East and beyond. SAUDI PRINCE FAISAL • To promote and protect by all lawful means the publishing in- dustry in Middle East • To protect members by dealing The Arab Media Forum announced Saturday it collectively with problems. is to honour Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin • To cooperate for mutual benefits with other organizations con- Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Chairman of cerned in the creation, production the Saudi Research and Marketing Group and distribution of publications. (SRMG) – a giant Middle Eastern media com- • To promote the development of public interest in publications in pany – as Media Personality of the Year, ac- association with other publishing cording to the media executive office. Prince Faisal Bin Salman organizations with similar objec- tives. • To serve as a medium for ex- The forum, which will honour a number of distinguished Arab personalities change of ideas with respect to for their contributions to Arab media, will be held in Kuwait between April 5- publication, sales copyright and 7, under the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al- other matters of interest. Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Prince Faisal’s award, comes in accordance IN THIS ISSUE: with his support of Arab media institutions and their development, said the forum’s Secretary General Madhi Al-Khamees. Prince Faisal on his part ex- NEWS UPDATE pressed his gratitude to the media forum’s organizers for its decision, also 1 • MEDIA PERSONALITY OF THE expressing appreciation to the State of Kuwait and its significant role in the YEAR; AMF HONOURS SAUDI PRINCE FAISAL.
    [Show full text]
  • AMO Cover-F-Eng
    1 ss;s; PRODUCTION TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 02 Project Team Foreword: Dubai Press Club 04 Foreword: Deloitte Maryam Bin Fahad, Executive Director 06 Acknowledgements Nadin Al Lahham, Business Development Supervisor 08 Executive Summary Adel Ibrahim, Senior Manager Operations 12 Methodology Muna Busamra, Deputy Manager Arab Journalism Award Sadiq Jarrar, Communications & PR Manager Section 1: Arab Media in a Global Context 15 Jasim Al Shemsi, Deputy Project Manager Mohab Mazen, Deputy Events Manager 1. Print 25 Afra Matar, Brand Executive 2. TV 41 Khalid Jamal, PR Coordinator 3. Digital 57 Ahmad Khalid, Events Coordinator 4. Other Platforms 77 Khulood Alkhoory, Media Relations Coordinator 5. TV Series 81 Rajeev Kandathil, Administrative Executive 6. Movies 95 Mohamed Al Hosany, Events Coordinator 7. Sports 109 Ahmed Al Muhairbi, Media Relations Coordinator 8. Music 123 Ahmed Al Hashimi, Media Relations Coordinator Abdul Hani Aliouat, Arabic Editor & Proofreader Section 2: Regional Update 135 Dana Beydoun, Senior Editor In-focus countries 137 Sireen Jannoun, Senior Editor Country-by-country update 175 Section 3: The Media Revolution For Feedback and Review 1. Introduction 223 Dr. Hessa Lootah, Assistant Professor Department of Public Media and Communications - Emirates University 2. Social Media 224 Mamoon Sbeih, Managing Director - Arab Region, APCO Worldwide 3. Satellite TV 229 Craig D`Silva, Project Consultant, APCO Worldwide 4. Implications for the Future 232 Musab Zakarya – For translation 5. Conclusion 238 For Deloitte Glossary
    [Show full text]
  • Country Risk Weekly Bulletin News Headlines
    Issue 108 March 19, 2009 Economic Research & Analysis Department COUNTRY RISK WEEKLY BULLETIN NEWS HEADLINES EMERGING MARKETS Region is the most water scarce in the world The UNESCO's third World Water Development report stated Global crisis is increasing risk of sovereign that the MENA region is the most water-limited region in the defaults world, holding only 1% of global runoff. It expected water Moody's Investors Service indicated that, as the financial crisis scarcity in the region to worsen due to lower rainfalls and to the spread to emerging markets and global economic growth high rates of population growth, as the region’s population in slowed, sovereign credit trends were reversed as rating down- 2080 could reach 5.4 times its level in 2000. It added that these grades exceeded upgrades in 2008 for the first time in several demographic and climate factors are increasing the number of years. It said two sovereigns defaulted, as Ecuador and the areas where water has become a limiting factor for irrigated Seychelles both missed interest payments on their global bonds agriculture and are tightening food production in the region as it in the second half of the year. Also, seven countries were down- can no longer satisfy its food requirements. The UNESCO also graded, mostly during the second half of the year, as the global added that environmental degradation from water pollution and financial crises spread first to Iceland, then to emerging excessive withdrawals have negative economic impacts, as the European markets such as Hungary and Latvia, and then to cost of environmental degradation in the region is estimated at emerging market countries as geographically diverse as Egypt, $9bn a year, accounting for between 2.1% to 7.4% of the Pakistan, and Ecuador.
    [Show full text]
  • In the Context of the Saudi News Media
    A University of Sussex PhD thesis Available online via Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/ This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Please visit Sussex Research Online for more information and further details 1 Online news: A study of ‘credibility’ in the context of the Saudi news media Naif Mutlaq Alotaibi Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Sussex December 2016 2 I hereby declare that this thesis has not been and will not be, submitted, either in the same or different form to this or any other University for a degree. Signature: 3 UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX Naif Mutlaq Alotaibi Online news: A study of ‘credibility’ in the context of the Saudi news media ABSTRACT This thesis explores the ‘credibility’ of news in Saudi Arabia, comparing online media with official newspapers. The latter are heavily regulated offering limited viewpoints. But the Saudi government has been less able to regulate online. Against a historical background of news development in Saudi Arabia, the thesis explores the rise of online from discussion forums established in the 1990s to online newspapers and social media. Largely qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups) plus a quantitative survey, were adopted to collect two sets of data: from educated readers, and from journalists working for online publications.
    [Show full text]
  • The Gulf and Sectarianism
    ANALYSIS GULF THE GULF AND SECTARIANISM Introduction by Fatima Ayub ABOUT By virtue of their confined political environments, the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and their most important neighbours often remain impenetrable to domestic and Has the Arab Awakening degenerated into a nightmare? foreign observers. And yet, the evolving politics After its first experiment with credible elections, Egypt has of Peninsula countries, their relationship to reverted to the strongman politics of the deep state. A free one another and to the wider region, pose Libya looks to be in free fall. Yemen’s managed political some of the most significant and unanswered transition is stagnating. Bahrain’s national reconciliation questions for the changing geopolitics of the is less a dialogue than a monologue by its self-assured Middle East. Gulf politics are entering the monarchs. Syria is unravelling into an ever more divisive most unpredictable and volatile era since their and brutal internecine conflict, jeopardising the political establishment. and economic health of already anaemic Lebanon and Jordan. The war in Iraq, metastasizing anew as the Arab Understanding these new trends as they Awakening triggers new power struggles around it, claims unfold will be critical if Europeans and other hundreds of dead each month as it fuses with the war on its international actors intend to rely on the Gulf western border. Perhaps the most worrying trend is that of states as financial and political partners in the sectarianism and in particular the re-emergence of identity region. In the coming decade, the Gulf states politics along the Shia-Sunni divide.
    [Show full text]
  • STRATEGIC SAUDI ARABIA UPDATE • Strategic Analysis • Insight News
    23 September 2017 Volume 1, Week 36 + 37 STRATEGIC SAUDI ARABIA UPDATE • Strategic Analysis • Insight News www.verocy.com SAUDI ARABIA STRATEGIC UPDATE Volume 1, Week 36 + 37 23 September 2017 STRATEGIC ANALYSIS .............................................................................................. 3 Saudi Arabia’s future: From Kingdom of Oil to Start Up Hub and Fintech center?............ 3 Saudi Arabia enters “Fun Land” .................................................................................... 10 Middle-East Tensions Soar After Critical Phone Call .......................................................11 OPEC’s Latest Report Signals An Oil Price Rally ............................................................ 14 Why Aramco Delayed Its IPO ........................................................................................ 16 Trouble Is Brewing In Kurdistan .................................................................................... 18 STRATEGIC INSIGHT NEWS ..................................................................................... 21 Saudi Arabia's PIF, SoftBank to launch robotics initiative .............................................. 21 Saudi to revise National Transformation Program ........................................................ 21 The 'jewels in the crown' of Saudi's privatization program ............................................ 23 Saudi Arabia said to offer major incentives for Tadawul listing ...................................... 25 Saudi Arabia to launch global PR offensive
    [Show full text]
  • Doing Business in Saudi Arabia 2017 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT, U.S
    Doing Business in Saudi Arabia 2017 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT, U.S. & FOREIGN COMMERCIAL SERVICE AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES. Table of Contents Doing Business in Saudi Arabia .......................................................................................... 4 Market Overview ............................................................................................................. 4 Market Challenges .......................................................................................................... 5 Market Opportunities ..................................................................................................... 6 Market Entry Strategy .................................................................................................... 8 Political Environment .......................................................................................................... 8 Political Environment ....................................................................................................... Selling US Products & Services ........................................................................................... 8 Using an Agent to Sell US Products and Services .......................................................... 8 Establishing an Office ................................................................................................... 10 Franchising ...................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Business Wire Catalog
    Saudi Arabia Distribution to local and national newspapers, news agencies, television stations, online services and radio via AETOS Wire. Includes Arabic translation based on your English language news release. Additional translation services are available. Saudi Arabia Wams Agency Saudi Broadcast Corporation Al Kebar Saudi Arabia Magazines & Periodicals Saudia TV Al Khaleeg Newspapers Adwaa Magazine Radio Al Khobar Times Al Bilad Saudi Arabia Al Benaa Magazine Alif Alif FM Al Madaen Online Al Eqtisadiah Al Majalla Radio Almajd Al Makhwah Al Hayat - Riyadh Office Al Osra UFM Radio Al Maqal Al Jazirah Al Yamamah Magazine Online Al Mokhtasar Al Madina Alam Al Ghethaa 1ksanews1 Al Mrsal Al Nadi Sports Aliktisad Magazine 2def.com Al Muraba Al Riyadh Arab-Lady 3-hail.com Al Sopar Al Shams Arabian Woman- Arabic Edition 3ajeeb.net Al Syaha Al Sharq KSA Asrar Magazine 3alyoum Al Taif Al Watan Assayaraat 3rabi News Al Wajh Sound Al Watan SA Boarding Magazine 7Days KSA Al Weeam Al Yaum Borsa Mag 8 Jeddah Al Yamamah Web (Al Riyadh) Al-Yamamah Press Business Men 9dmd.com Al-Hawiyah Establishment Dazzle Magazine Aakhbaralasr Al-Marsd Amlak Newspaper Destination Jeddah Aammaal Al-mhd.com Arab News Destination Riyadh Abo-Bs Al-Ryadh Arreyadi Destination Sharqiya Adhwa Alaqeq Arriyadiyah Entrepreneur KSA Adwaa Al Watan Alardha Press Asharq Al-Awsat Haute Couture Aen-Tabuk.com Alasefa.com Asharq Al-Awsat - Saudi Edition Jamila - Saudi Arabia Aenashmal.com Albedaya-Algadida Assir Establishment for Press Lailat Khames Magazine Aenhail.com.sa Aldiwan.org and Publishing (Al Watan) Leaders Entrepreneurs Ahm News Alhofair News Makkah Establishment For Market Reports on Saudi Arabia Ahsaweb.net Alhota.net Printing & Information Media Car Ajel Aljadeed.com Makkah Newspaper Mobile Trend Magazine Ajel-News 24 Aljleague.net Malayalam News Moda Style International Akhbar KSA AlJouf News Okaz Oasis Magazine Akhbaria Aljubail Today Saudi Gazette Saudi Auto Magazine Akthar.net Alkaramaps.com Saudi Research & Publication Saudi Motors Magazine Al Areen News Alkhbr News Co.
    [Show full text]