Virtual Space and the Rise of the Public Sphere: Social Media in the Sultanate of Oman
dc.contributor.author
Windecker, Gidon
dc.date.accessioned
2019-04-29T11:41:24Z
dc.date.available
2019-04-29T07:22:26Z
dc.date.available
2019-04-29T08:41:17Z
dc.date.available
2019-04-29T09:28:08Z
dc.date.available
2019-04-29T11:41:24Z
dc.date.issued
2019-03
dc.identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/339875
dc.identifier.doi
10.3929/ethz-b-000339875
dc.description.abstract
Social media and its impact especially on the young generation has challenged political and social norms in the conservative Gulf monarchies. In the past, shaping news and initiating social innovation and civic participation were, to a great extent, controlled and determined by centralised governments and their affiliated media systems within a framework of rules and regulations. Social media, on the other hand, has crafted a new virtual space, where young people can create platforms to exchange ideas beyond the boundaries of the traditional patterns of physical space and conventional social interaction.
In the Sultanate of Oman, where ca. 70% of the 2.2 million citizens are under the age of 30, this new space led – at least temporarily – to an accelerated transformation of society, especially in the aftermath of the protest wave of 2011. Young Omanis used it to test the limits that the strict laws imposed on public space. In response, authorities tried to counter this development from within, both by expanding the legal framework to the online world, and by using the virtual space to spread their own normative discourse. Moreover, virtual interaction led to a transformation of social norms within the traditional space as well. Not only did the awareness of political developments and the call for more participation rights gain momentum, but also the citizens developed a new civic awareness, which transcended the traditional norms and values of their tribal society.
Based on Habermas’ model of the “public sphere”, this chapter examines how Omani citizens have used virtual and non-virtual public space to make their voices heard. It assesses to what extent social media has turned into a new platform of dialogue and debate by opening new channels of participation and creating new challenges to conventional social patterns. The analysis focuses on opportunities and limitations of how virtual space impacts life beyond the virtual sphere in a conservative society, and how it affects social patterns and the political awareness of the young generation.
en_US
dc.format
application/pdf
en_US
dc.language.iso
en
en_US
dc.publisher
Future Cities Laboratory Singapore; ETH Zurich
en_US
dc.rights.uri
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
dc.subject
Virtual Space
en_US
dc.subject
Public Sphere
en_US
dc.subject
Social Media
en_US
dc.subject
Oman (South West Asia). Sultanat of Oman
en_US
dc.title
Virtual Space and the Rise of the Public Sphere: Social Media in the Sultanate of Oman
en_US
dc.type
Conference Paper
dc.rights.license
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
dc.date.published
2019-04-15
ethz.pages.start
166
en_US
ethz.pages.end
185
en_US
ethz.size
20 p.
en_US
ethz.version.deposit
publishedVersion
en_US
ethz.event
Gulf Research Meeting 2016
en_US
ethz.event.location
Cambridge, United Kingdom
en_US
ethz.event.date
August 15-19, 2016
en_US
ethz.publication.place
Singapore; Zurich
en_US
ethz.publication.status
published
en_US
ethz.leitzahl
ETH Zürich::00002 - ETH Zürich::00003 - Schulleitung und Dienste::00022 - Bereich VP Forschung / Domain VP Research::08058 - Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) / Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC)
en_US
ethz.relation.isPartOf
10.3929/ethz-b-000339841
ethz.date.deposited
2019-04-29T07:22:28Z
ethz.source
FORM
ethz.eth
yes
en_US
ethz.availability
Open access
en_US
ethz.rosetta.installDate
2019-04-29T08:41:21Z
ethz.rosetta.lastUpdated
2022-03-28T22:51:45Z
ethz.rosetta.versionExported
true
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