Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to address the main research gap related to the lack of sufficient information regarding the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in second Arab Spring wave in comparison to the first one. The authors analysed the role of ICTs via data regarding the access to ICTs and its influence on organization and spread of the anti-regime protests, i.e. regime change.

Design/methodology/approach

Crisis situations are unpredictable, complex and unexpected. The consequences produced by the crisis situations or events may be negative for an individual, community, organization or society as a whole. In the new millennium, ICTs have an important role in deep social crises. The new technologies enable not only the rapid spread of certain political ideas, spin information, but also the spread of misinformation. The control over ICTs in the crisis situations is crucial. The aim of this paper is to indicate effect of the use of ICTs in the crisis situations, i.e. political upheavals in 11 countries of the “Arab Spring”. The contribution of this paper is based on the development of a special theoretical model of analysis that represents the combination of the theoretical considerations in the field of ICTs, as well as the analysis in the field of transitology, i.e. democratization. The first part of the paper is focussed on the development of ICT transition theory of ICTs’ impact on the process of political change, setting the hypotheses and the explanation of methodological approach of the paper. The second part is related to the review and description of data regarding ICTs use, while the third one discusses the impact of the use of ICTs in organizing and spreading protests in the Arab world, in line with the defined theoretical framework. Finally, there are given the research results in terms of confirming or refuting the hypotheses through the analysis of Arab transition cases.

Findings

The authors confirmed the main hypothesis of the paper that the factors that determined the role of ICTs in first Spring, also, have determined the role of ICTs in second Spring wave. These factors include high access to ICT tools, weak regime's control over ICTs’ use and important cross-border networking with regional and international audience. All that formed the promotional role of ICTs in regime change in 8 of the 11 countries mentioned in the paper.

Originality/value

Apart from the developed special theoretical model and the analysis of new wave Arab Spring cases, the significance and originality of this paper is reflected in a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach that connects political changes and the use of ICTs in disseminating certain policies and ideas.

中文翻译：

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阿拉伯之春十年：作为大众动员工具的信息和通信技术

目的

本研究论文的目的是解决与第一次相比，在第二次阿拉伯之春浪潮中信息和通信技术 (ICT) 的作用缺乏足够信息的主要研究差距。作者通过有关获取信息通信技术的数据及其对反政权抗议活动（即政权更迭）的组织和传播的影响，分析了信息通信技术的作用。

设计/方法/方法

危机情况是不可预测的、复杂的和意想不到的。危机情况或事件产生的后果可能对个人、社区、组织或整个社会产生负面影响。在新的千年里，信息通信技术在深刻的社会危机中发挥着重要作用。新技术不仅可以使某些政治思想、旋转信息快速传播，而且还可以传播错误信息。在危机情况下对 ICT 的控制至关重要。本文旨在说明在危机情况下使用信息通信技术的影响，即“阿拉伯之春”11 个国家的政治动荡。本文的贡献基于一种特殊的分析理论模型的发展，该模型代表了 ICT 领域理论考虑的结合，以及交通学领域的分析，即民主化。论文的第一部分重点介绍了ICT对政治变革过程的影响的ICT转型理论的发展，提出了假设并解释了本文的方法论方法。第二部分是关于信息通信技术使用数据的审查和描述，而第三部分根据定义的理论框架讨论了信息通信技术在阿拉伯世界组织和传播抗议活动中的影响。最后，通过对阿拉伯过渡案例的分析，给出了证实或反驳假设的研究结果。设定假设并解释论文的方法论方法。第二部分是关于信息通信技术使用数据的审查和描述，而第三部分根据定义的理论框架讨论了信息通信技术在阿拉伯世界组织和传播抗议活动中的影响。最后，通过对阿拉伯过渡案例的分析，给出了证实或反驳假设的研究结果。设定假设并解释论文的方法论方法。第二部分是关于信息通信技术使用数据的审查和描述，而第三部分根据定义的理论框架讨论了信息通信技术在阿拉伯世界组织和传播抗议活动中的影响。最后，通过对阿拉伯过渡案例的分析，给出了证实或反驳假设的研究结果。

发现

作者证实了论文的主要假设，即决定信息通信技术在第一次春季浪潮中的作用的因素也决定了信息通信技术在第二次春季浪潮中的作用。这些因素包括对 ICT 工具的高度访问、政权对 ICT 使用的控制薄弱以及与区域和国际受众的重要跨境联网。所有这些都形成了信息通信技术在文件中提到的 11 个国家中的 8 个国家的政权更迭中的促进作用。

原创性/价值

除了发展的特殊理论模型和对新浪潮阿拉伯之春案例的分析之外，本文的意义和独创性还体现在一种综合性和多学科的方法上，该方法将政治变革与信息通信技术在传播某些政策和思想方面的使用联系起来。