ABSTRACT
This chapter studies social mobilization and civil society. It reviews how citizens in the MENA have struggled to alter the rules and constraints governing their societies through resistance, participation, and organization. It shows the traditions of collective action and even revolutionary power that harken back to the eras of Ottoman and Western imperialism, and then traces the rise of civil society – meaning the associational life between governments, economies, and homes and which comprise all the unique organizations, clubs, and movements that characterize what people often do when not studying, working, eating, and sleeping. From the post-colonial period to the current epoch, and through various impediments such as political repression and ideological competition, the analysis underscores the capacity of everyday people to become meaningful actors in voicing their interests and fighting for change.
