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The Arab Spring as a Challenge to Political Science

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The International Politics of the Arab Spring

Part of the book series: The Modern Muslim World ((MMUS))

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Abstract

The critical descriptions, explanations, and analyses of the Arab Spring rank among the major recent challenges within political science. Thus, this chapter aims to contribute to the identification and discussion of those important areas for research within the discipline. The fact that the social scientific research on the Middle East failed to predict the Arab Spring serves as a starting point of the analysis. Yet, the aim of this contribution is neither a collective (self-)accusation nor apologia. Rather, it shall discuss which aspects of the Arab Spring took the research community by surprise. It will thereby identify empirical evidence and unpack theoretical constructs on which to contribute to a satisfactory analysis of the Arab Spring.

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Authors
  1. Martin Beck
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. British University, Egypt

    Robert Mason (Lecturer of Political Science) (Lecturer of Political Science)

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© 2014 Robert Mason

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Beck, M. (2014). The Arab Spring as a Challenge to Political Science. In: Mason, R. (eds) The International Politics of the Arab Spring. The Modern Muslim World. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137481726_2

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