The Use of the Internet by Social Movements in Morocco: Implications for Collective Action and Political Change
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The Use of the Internet by Social Movements in Morocco: Implications for Collective Action and Political Change Mohamed Ben Moussa A Thesis In The Department Of Communication Studies Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada April, 2011 © Mohamed Ben Moussa 2011 Concordia University School Of Graduate Studies This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Mohamed Ben Moussa Entitled: The Use of the Internet by Social Movements in Morocco: Implications for Collective Action and Political Change. and submitted in partial fullfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. complies with the regulations of the University and meets the the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final examining committee: Danielle Gauvreau, PhD Chair ________________________________ Lise Garon, PhD External Examiner ________________________________ Mike Gasher, PhD External to Program ________________________________ Christian Agbobbli, PhD Examiner ________________________________ Jeremy Stolow, PhD Examiner ________________________________ Leslie R. Shade, PhD Thesis Co-Supervisor ________________________________ William Buxton, PhD Thesis Co-Supervisor ________________________________ Approved by ______________________________________ Chair of Department or Graduate Program Director __________ _______________________________ Dean of Faculty ABSTRACT The Use of the Internet by Social Movements in Morocco: Implications for Collective Action and Political Change Mohamed Ben Moussa, Ph.D. Concordia University, 2007 The thesis examines the use of the Internet by social movements in Morocco and the extent to which it has empowered them in various struggles against political and social injustices. More specifically, it explores whether the Internet has transformed the collective action repertoire and enhanced social movements‘ capacity to challenge Morocco‘s semi-authoritarian government and erode the hegemonic social orders in the country. In so doing, the thesis addresses some key polemical issues and questions germane to the topic, mainly the dialectic between technological and social determinisms and agency, the role of technology in development, and collective action and democratic change in the context of Muslim-majority societies. The thesis uses a combination of methodological approaches to explore the structural, textual and contextual dimensions of the Internet‘s implications and impact. Through feature analysis, and framing analysis, the research studies 18 websites, collective blogs and wikis belonging to eight key Moroccan social movements. It equally draws on rich data derived from 37 semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with Moroccan social movement activists, journalists and international NGOs‘ officials. It offers insights into the embeddedness of the Internet as a technology and medium, and into the interplay between activists‘ and users‘ practices and their social environment and physical world. Moreover, using a multidisciplinary conceptual framework, namely social movement theory, the social study of technology, alternative media studies, radical democracy theory and community informatics, the thesis examines the complex and iii multilayered interconnections between the Internet and the various social, economic and cultural processes shaping its appropriation and its potential for social change. It concludes that the Internet plays a significant role in enhancing Moroccan social movements‘ collective action capabilities by favouring various forms of mobilization, and facilitating linkages between dispersed constituencies and translocal public spheres. The thesis argues, however, that the medium does not impact in any radical way the dominant political and social orders inasmuch as its implications and potential remain considerably limited by the various digital divides, and are mediated through the power relations characterizing society. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT All texts are collective works even when they have single authors. This one is not an exception. Many people contributed to this work in various ways, and thanking them all may not be possible in this short note. I am indebted to many people in the Department of Communication Studies at Concordia University who shared ideas with me, provided comments on my research, or simply opened their heart to my ―existential‖ worries. I am equally indebted to all the people in Morocco and Montreal who generously accepted to sit for interviews and share part of their life, experience and insights. I especially thank Abderezzak Idrissi, Hassan Bara and Younes Ben Moussa, my brother, for facilitating contacts with Moroccan activists in Rabat and Casablanca. I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to my two supervisors, for their constant support, advice and kindness that allowed me to finish this project. To Dr. Leslie Shade, for her dedicated help, generous comments, and wonderful and encouraging spirit, I wish to say: Thank you. To Dr. William Buxton, for his generous support and guidance as a professor, PhD program director and co-supervisor from my first day in the program till the last draft of this thesis, I wish to say: Thank you. My deepest gratitude and love go to my wife, Sanaa, who contributed enormously to this work through innumerable discussions, extensive advice, editing and proofreading, as well as through her encouragement and moral support. v DEDICATION To my parents, who taught me that life is hope and hard work. To Sanaa, my beautiful wife, life companion, and best friend, without whom this work would have never seen light. To Rayan and Reem, whose smiles helped me bear the burden of this long journey. vi Table of Contents List of Figures .................................................................................................................... xi List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xii Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................ xii Mapping the Field of Query ................................................................................................ 1 1. Collective Action Repertoire in the Internet Age ........................................................... 1 2. Rationale ......................................................................................................................... 5 3. Research Statement and Questions ................................................................................. 9 4. Contribution to Communication Studies and Research ................................................ 11 5. Organization and Chapter Breakdown .......................................................................... 16 Chapter Two: The Political Economy of a Country and a Medium .......................... 21 Sisyphus in the Digital Age .............................................................................................. 21 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 21 1. The Political Economy of Morocco .............................................................................. 22 1.1 The economy and human development: Background. ........................................ 22 1.2 The political system. ........................................................................................... 26 2. ICTs and the Internet in Morocco: Towards an Information Society? ..................... 40 2.1 Official discourse and policy on ICTs. ................................................................... 40 2.2 The rapid growth in the ICT sector: Network capitalism. .................................. 41 2.3 The Internet‘s infrastructure and use. ................................................................. 42 2.4 Freedom of speech online. .................................................................................. 47 3. Summary and Conclusion ......................................................................................... 49 Chapter Three: Literature Review ................................................................................ 51 Social Movements and the Internet ................................................................................... 51 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 51 1. Civil Society and Social Movements ........................................................................ 52 1.1 Civil society: Concept definition. ....................................................................... 52 1.2 Social Movements. .............................................................................................. 55 1.3 Social movement theory in the context of developing countries. ....................... 65 1.4 Social movement in Muslim/Arab countries. ..................................................... 66 1.5 Civil society and social movements in Morocco. ............................................... 69 2. The Political Role of the Internet and Implications for Social Movements ............. 75 2.1 Conceptualizing the political role and potential of the Internet. ......................... 75 2.2 The democratic potential of ICTs in developing countries. ................................ 79