Daniel Zisenwine – författare

Discussions of the unsettled political and social landscapes in the Middle East and North Africa frequently point to Morocco as an exception. An Arab League member-state, Morocco enjoys a favorable image in the West, seemingly combining a healthy and balanced mix of tradition and modernity, authenticity with openness to foreign cultures, political stability and evolution towards greater pluralism, and a marked improvement in the legal and social status of women. This book offers a comprehensive and detailed scholarly examination of Morocco's political, social and cultural evolution under King Mohammed VI. Contributions from an international lineup of experts on Moroccan history, politics, economy, society and culture explain the tension and dynamics between the state authorities and competing social actors, and highlight the durability of the monarchical institution while also pointing to the continued challenges it faces from a variety of directions. The analysis touches on a number of issues, notably youth, and women and religious reform to investigate how the country has become significantly more open and less repressive, and how any unrest Morocco experienced during the recent ‘Arab Spring’ has been controlled. Employing various disciplines and theoretical perspectives, the result is an analytically rich portrayal which sheds important light on the country's prospects and the challenges it confronts in an era of steadily accelerating globalization. As such, it will be of interest to students and scholars who focus on modern Morocco, North Africa and the Middle East, as well as researchers in the fields of Comparative Politics and International Relations.

Here, Daniel Zisenwine looks at Tunisia under the rule of Ben Ali, from 1987 when he rose to power until the 2011 protests that led to his downfall.Sparked by the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Sidi Bouzid in Tunisia, a wave of protests and uprisings spread across North Africa and the Middle East in late 2010 and 2011. The case of Tunisia has since been held up as an example of a ‘successful’ revolution, ousting its erstwhile ruler Zayn al-‘Abidin Ben Ali, leading to relatively free elections in October 2011. Zisenwine offers an analysis of this authoritarian regime from its early days, to the attempts in the 2000s to reform economically (but not, crucially, politically) and the societal discontent that eventually led to the 2011 protests. This book is vital for those researching the Middle East and North Africa, as well as for those interested in the anatomy of authoritarian regimes and their downfall.

Situated on Europe's threshold, the Maghrib's core states--Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia--are confronted by many of the same dire political, social, and economic circumstances as the Arab and other Muslim countries farther east. However, these countries are often overlooked during debates over the future of the Middle East, even though their political and social systems appear more ripe for the kind of partnership envisaged by Western policy-makers than others in the region.This volume features a topical focus on Islamic movements, an emphasis on the importance of the Berber dimension of contemporary North African society and politics, and the inclusion of a crucial transnational perspective stressing the Maghrib's ties to Europe. All of this is set against a backdrop of larger questions of history, memory, and national identity at the dawn of a new century.

Discussions of the unsettled political and social landscapes in the Middle East and North Africa frequently point to Morocco as an exception. An Arab League member-state, Morocco enjoys a favorable image in the West, seemingly combining a healthy and balanced mix of tradition and modernity, authenticity with openness to foreign cultures, political stability and evolution towards greater pluralism, and a marked improvement in the legal and social status of women. This book offers a comprehensive and detailed scholarly examination of Morocco's political, social and cultural evolution under King Mohammed VI. Contributions from an international lineup of experts on Moroccan history, politics, economy, society and culture explain the tension and dynamics between the state authorities and competing social actors, and highlight the durability of the monarchical institution while also pointing to the continued challenges it faces from a variety of directions. The analysis touches on a number of issues, notably youth, and women and religious reform to investigate how the country has become significantly more open and less repressive, and how any unrest Morocco experienced during the recent ‘Arab Spring’ has been controlled. Employing various disciplines and theoretical perspectives, the result is an analytically rich portrayal which sheds important light on the country's prospects and the challenges it confronts in an era of steadily accelerating globalization. As such, it will be of interest to students and scholars who focus on modern Morocco, North Africa and the Middle East, as well as researchers in the fields of Comparative Politics and International Relations.

Here, Daniel Zisenwine looks at Tunisia under the rule of Ben Ali, from 1987 when he rose to power until the 2011 protests that led to his downfall.Sparked by the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Sidi Bouzid in Tunisia, a wave of protests and uprisings spread across North Africa and the Middle East in late 2010 and 2011. The case of Tunisia has since been held up as an example of a ‘successful’ revolution, ousting its erstwhile ruler Zayn al-‘Abidin Ben Ali, leading to relatively free elections in October 2011. Zisenwine offers an analysis of this authoritarian regime from its early days, to the attempts in the 2000s to reform economically (but not, crucially, politically) and the societal discontent that eventually led to the 2011 protests. This book is vital for those researching the Middle East and North Africa, as well as for those interested in the anatomy of authoritarian regimes and their downfall.