Jordanian youth in collective action: Structure and significance of the Jordanian Al-Hira¯k Al-Shaba¯bi¯ (Youth Movement)

Abstract

Increased and widespread regional collective action in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) during the recent Arab revolutions reflects the existence of a marked change in the structure and the strategies used by young organised activists. This period has witnessed greater organisation efforts from young actors, taking the role of leaders and organisers, which have resulted in a variety of social movements that pursue strategies different from former ones. I argue that, in Jordan, the Jordanian Al-Hira¯k Ash-Shaba¯bi¯ (Youth Movement) represents this new regional trend of youth-led, youth-organised, informal, uninstitutionalized, horizontal, network-like organization that is re-defining what dissent looks like in the country today. In the case of Jordan, the role of youth has been widely understudied, resulting in an incomplete interpretation of this revolutionary period in Jordan. The aim of this paper is to contribute to this gap of knowledge, analysing the movements appearance and organisation to present its overall socio-political characteristics.