Abstract
This chapter examines the use of Twitter hashtags to shame and silence women for being vocal about women’s rights and feminism or for violating social norms in the MENA region. The study uses muted group theory to examine the phenomenon of silencing women through Twitter to understand the characteristics of the online shaming culture in the MENA region. The researcher utilized qualitative methods and in-depth interviews with female users of Twitter in the MENA region and legal, cultural, and civic organizations experts. The findings show that online shaming campaigns in the MENA region, especially those targeting women, utilize religion, fear, and violent rhetoric to force women to withdraw from social media and to be silenced.
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Almalki, S. (2023). The Culture of Online Shaming Targeting Women from the Middle East and North African (MENA) Region. In: Akpan, U.S. (eds) African Media Space and Globalization. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35060-3_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35060-3_10
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