Dissertation Proposal Defense: Fatima Hadji - Social Mobilization in Morocco: February 20 movement, Local Tansikiyats, and the Struggle for Real Change?

Social Mobilization in Morocco: February 20 movement, Local Tansikiyats, and the Struggle for Real Change?

Fatima Hadji

Tuesday, June 11; 
10:00AM - 12:00PM
Truland Building, 7th Floor Conference Room 
 

Committee members:
Dr. Terrence Lyons (Chair)
Dr. Agnieszka Paczynska
Dr. Bassam Haddad

The recent overthrow of regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya has not resulted in similar outcomes in neighboring Morocco. While the regime has successfully avoided substantial change through limited reforms and various means of manipulation and repression, the February 20 movement has remained active and represents an innovative type of politics. In order to understand this movement it is necessary to examine the innovative local organizing structures (known as Tansikiyats). The emergence of local Tansikiyats of the February 20 movement constitutes a new phenomenon that merits explanation. The central contribution is, thus, not to just study the macro- political discourse, or broader outcomes, and patterns of political change advanced by the February 20 movement, but to examine local organizing structures of its Tansikiyats, how they are formed, remain autonomous, and substantively representatives of grassroots. Also, the Tansikiyats constitute a starting point to advance the idea that February 20 is different and that the Tansikiyats are an integral part of understanding the ‘unique experience’ of social mobilization in Morocco.