نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 استاد علوم سیاسی دانشگاه شیراز
2 مطالعات منطقه ای گرایش خاورمیانه و شمال افریقا، حقوق و علوم سیاسی، دانشگاه شیراز، شیراز، ایران
کلیدواژهها
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
This study aims to investigate the reasons and functions of social networks in the activism of the political opposition in Saudi Arabia and, focusing on two Salafi-Takfiri and neo-Salafi movements, attempts to analyze the evolution of the political and discursive behavior of the opponents. The theoretical framework of the study is based on Habermas' theory of the public sphere and communicative action, Castells' network society, discursive framing, resource mobilization, online radicalization, and political opportunity. The research method is descriptive-analytical and based on documentary analysis and digital content analysis. The findings show that social networks play the role of an "alternative public sphere" in the authoritarian structure of Saudi Arabia and provide the opportunity to express dissatisfaction, make demands, and reproduce opposition discourses. According to the results, the Salafi-Takfiri movement has experienced a gradual decrease in activity from 2018 to 2024 and has turned to more limited networking, while the neo-Salafi movement has grown and had a more stable presence during the same period. These trends show that cyberspace has become the most important arena for ideological and political competition for the Saudi opposition.
