Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LIVE-AR (The subsequent lives of Arab revolutionaries)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2025-02-28
In 2011, the world witnessed with enthusiasm what came to be known as the Arab Spring. From the Maghreb to the Machrek, millions of citizens took to the streets in protest, thereby belying common belief that the Arab dictatorships were stable. What has happened to these men and women, more often ordinary people than experienced activists, a decade after the uprisings? What remains of their commitment and of the bonds of friendship they forged during that moment? What of their ‘subsequent lives’ and the institutions they created? What are the ‘emotional legacies’ of their participation in the revolutionary processes? In short, what are the biographical consequences of revolutionary activism when the revolutionary moment turns into a civil war (Syria), an authoritarian restoration (Egypt), a tense, then aborted democratic transition (Tunisia), or a return to the previous ‘years of lead’ (Morocco)? These are the questions that trigger our project.
At odds with the generalized idea of the ‘failure’ of the Arab uprisings, we argue that the ‘subsequent lives’ of Arab revolutionaries reveal that a major disruption took place in 2011 and that its biographical consequences, ‘emotional legacies’ and social outcomes will be multifaceted, long-lasting and nourish the new generations of citizens. In this perspective, the revolutionary process, rather than necessarily leading to a successful radical political rupture, is conceived of here as one that produces a more diffuse reconfiguration of individual / collective social practices, representations and interactions.
Against this background, the LIVE-AR project articulates the micro and meso levels along four intertwined lines of research: 1) activist careers and biographical consequences, 2) ‘emotional legacies’, 3) revolutionary interpersonal networks, 4) revolutionary organizations. Methodologically speaking, the project follows a qualitative approach: life story interviews are combined with life calendars, an analysis of digital social networks and internet archives, and ethnographic observations of daily life practices.
The intended impact is twofold. At the theoretical level, it contributes to both the literature on social movements and activism and that on ‘political crises’ by providing a detailed ‘mosaic of life-stories’ of activists who deploy their movements in highly repressive and violent contexts. At the empirical level, it offers original and empirically grounded data to document the multiple possible social outcomes of revolutionary processes as they unfold in non-democratic contexts.
At odds with the generalized idea of the ‘failure’ of the Arab uprisings, we argue that the ‘subsequent lives’ of Arab revolutionaries reveal that a major disruption took place in 2011 and that its biographical consequences, ‘emotional legacies’ and social outcomes will be multifaceted, long-lasting and nourish the new generations of citizens. In this perspective, the revolutionary process, rather than necessarily leading to a successful radical political rupture, is conceived of here as one that produces a more diffuse reconfiguration of individual / collective social practices, representations and interactions.
Against this background, the LIVE-AR project articulates the micro and meso levels along four intertwined lines of research: 1) activist careers and biographical consequences, 2) ‘emotional legacies’, 3) revolutionary interpersonal networks, 4) revolutionary organizations. Methodologically speaking, the project follows a qualitative approach: life story interviews are combined with life calendars, an analysis of digital social networks and internet archives, and ethnographic observations of daily life practices.
The intended impact is twofold. At the theoretical level, it contributes to both the literature on social movements and activism and that on ‘political crises’ by providing a detailed ‘mosaic of life-stories’ of activists who deploy their movements in highly repressive and violent contexts. At the empirical level, it offers original and empirically grounded data to document the multiple possible social outcomes of revolutionary processes as they unfold in non-democratic contexts.
In order to create the conditions for a transnational comparison along its four lines of research, the team has first concentrated on defining a common analytical framework and a collective sampling strategy based on key indicators (e.g. involvement in the revolutionary movement, subsequent political commitment, experience of exile, etc.). In a second phase, the project members have devoted much of their time to data collection, with field trips to Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and France.
In the case of Morocco, for example, interviews have been conducted with former members of the ‘20 Fevrier movement’, focusing on activists who protested in the country's main cities as well as on those who participated in marginalised regions. In the case of Tunisia, the team members have focused mainly on the trajectories of the young 'diplomés chômeurs' who took part in the 2011 uprising and on the trajectories of women protesters. With regard to the case of Egypt, the issues of violence and defeat have been placed at the centre of our analysis. Finally, for the case of Syria, the project draws on data collected since 2014 by two of its members from exiled revolutionaries living in Turkey, Lebanon and France.
The work carried out during the first two years has already resulted in the organization of a significant number of scientific events (a two-day international conference, a monthly seminar on « Activists pathways and political crisis », various international congress panels, and finally numerous individual interventions in workshops, conferences and congresses). In addition, the team has also been involved in various forms of knowledge transfer (e.g. organizing public cultural events, participating in the Journées d’Histoire de l’Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, discussing with civil society organizations, and media appearances).
In the case of Morocco, for example, interviews have been conducted with former members of the ‘20 Fevrier movement’, focusing on activists who protested in the country's main cities as well as on those who participated in marginalised regions. In the case of Tunisia, the team members have focused mainly on the trajectories of the young 'diplomés chômeurs' who took part in the 2011 uprising and on the trajectories of women protesters. With regard to the case of Egypt, the issues of violence and defeat have been placed at the centre of our analysis. Finally, for the case of Syria, the project draws on data collected since 2014 by two of its members from exiled revolutionaries living in Turkey, Lebanon and France.
The work carried out during the first two years has already resulted in the organization of a significant number of scientific events (a two-day international conference, a monthly seminar on « Activists pathways and political crisis », various international congress panels, and finally numerous individual interventions in workshops, conferences and congresses). In addition, the team has also been involved in various forms of knowledge transfer (e.g. organizing public cultural events, participating in the Journées d’Histoire de l’Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, discussing with civil society organizations, and media appearances).
By building a community of young scholars working on the biographical impact of revolutionary activism, and by establishing an enduring dialogue between researchers from the MENA region, European countries and the United States, our project crosses points of view, concepts and epistemologies, offering a new perspective on political crises and revolutions.
We are opening up a field of study that has been understudied in the case of the countries of the Global South, and especially so in the MENA region. More precisely, we introduce a three-fold shift from the hegemonic analysis of the ‘Arab uprisings’: a) from the revolutionary moment to the ‘subsequent lives’ of the women and men who participated in these events and a longitudinal analysis; b) from political / state institutions and macro-political transformations to ordinary activists and the individual level; and c) from national studies to cross-national comparisons in order to comprehend patterns and variations depending on the political context.
In doing so, we contribute to the ongoing efforts to document a unique historical moment in Arab societies, which tends to be read in unhelpful binary terms (success vs. failure, revolution vs. counter-revolution, rupture vs. continuity, etc.). In this sense, our analysis provides invaluable material for tomorrow’s historians and social scientists and fends off the “noise” of retrospective partial interpretations (Fillieule et al., 2018).
The work carried out until now reveals three main types of activist trajectories in relation to the post-uprising phase: 1) ‘revolutionaries’ who are still active in traditional political institutions and/or organisations; 2) revolutionaries who have managed to redirect their commitment towards new forms of activism; and finally, 3) revolutionaries who are now completely disengaged. Despite the differences between these paths, the question of the ‘emotional legacies’ of past activism emerges as a central element that contributes to shaping everyday lives, choices, representations and sense of projection into the future, with many (former) revolutionaries expressing nostalgia and positive feelings (for example, pride and satisfaction), and others regret, disappointment, guilt and a sense of loss. Other elements have emerged and will be further explored, such as the gender dimension of the biographical impact, the strong interest in higher education expressed by the interviewees, the aspects of archiving and commemoration, and the impact of exile. The experience of exile is indeed a major turning point in the trajectories. It transforms activism, without necessarily ending it.
Our ongoing comparative work has already resulted in several publications – including a special issue of the French peer-reviewed journal Cultures & Conflits (n° 134, 2024) as well as peer-reviewed articles published in journals such as Mediterranean Politics, Critique Internationale and Omran – and a book project that brings together several life stories.
We are opening up a field of study that has been understudied in the case of the countries of the Global South, and especially so in the MENA region. More precisely, we introduce a three-fold shift from the hegemonic analysis of the ‘Arab uprisings’: a) from the revolutionary moment to the ‘subsequent lives’ of the women and men who participated in these events and a longitudinal analysis; b) from political / state institutions and macro-political transformations to ordinary activists and the individual level; and c) from national studies to cross-national comparisons in order to comprehend patterns and variations depending on the political context.
In doing so, we contribute to the ongoing efforts to document a unique historical moment in Arab societies, which tends to be read in unhelpful binary terms (success vs. failure, revolution vs. counter-revolution, rupture vs. continuity, etc.). In this sense, our analysis provides invaluable material for tomorrow’s historians and social scientists and fends off the “noise” of retrospective partial interpretations (Fillieule et al., 2018).
The work carried out until now reveals three main types of activist trajectories in relation to the post-uprising phase: 1) ‘revolutionaries’ who are still active in traditional political institutions and/or organisations; 2) revolutionaries who have managed to redirect their commitment towards new forms of activism; and finally, 3) revolutionaries who are now completely disengaged. Despite the differences between these paths, the question of the ‘emotional legacies’ of past activism emerges as a central element that contributes to shaping everyday lives, choices, representations and sense of projection into the future, with many (former) revolutionaries expressing nostalgia and positive feelings (for example, pride and satisfaction), and others regret, disappointment, guilt and a sense of loss. Other elements have emerged and will be further explored, such as the gender dimension of the biographical impact, the strong interest in higher education expressed by the interviewees, the aspects of archiving and commemoration, and the impact of exile. The experience of exile is indeed a major turning point in the trajectories. It transforms activism, without necessarily ending it.
Our ongoing comparative work has already resulted in several publications – including a special issue of the French peer-reviewed journal Cultures & Conflits (n° 134, 2024) as well as peer-reviewed articles published in journals such as Mediterranean Politics, Critique Internationale and Omran – and a book project that brings together several life stories.