@article{1a397786e90f47809d8cac20f61db267,
title = "#Blockade: Social Media and the Gulf Diplomatic Crisis",
abstract = "The online public sphere, and the ways in which its digital media platforms influence discourse, is a crucial but understudied area of research in the six Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf. Through a case study of the ongoing Gulf diplomatic crisis, which began in June 2017, this essay draws on the disciplines of political science, communication, and digital media studies to analyze qualitative examples of digital discourse: The role of women, territorial boundaries, and the FIFA World Cup 2022. Linking these flash points to historical struggles between the countries, this essay suggests that the politicization of the online public sphere in the region does not represent a fundamental change in the diplomacy of the region but rather a new battleground for old regional rivalries.",
keywords = "Gulf, Legitimacy, Online Public Sphere, Patriarchy, Social Media, Sovereignty, World Cup",
author = "Mitchell, {Jocelyn Sage}",
note = "Funding Information: 1Mitchell is an assistant professor in residence at Northwestern University in Qatar. Support for this research was provided by a grant (UREP 22-067-5-021) from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The author thanks co-investigators Banu Akdenizli and Ibrahim Abusharif and research assistants Nada Qaddourah, {\"O}mer Alaoui, and Lulwa Al-Khori for their insights. The author also thanks Sean Foley, Sahar Khamis, and Jessie Moritz for their comments on a draft of this essay, presented at the 2018 Middle East Studies Association in a panel entitled “The Online Public Sphere in the Gulf: Disagreement, Dialogue, Creativity, and Change,” Natalie Koch for her feedback, the peer reviewers for suggestions, and the editorial team at Review of Middle East Studies for their support. Funding Information: 16This essay presents work from an interdisciplinary, multimethod grant project, funded by a grant from the Qatar National Research Fund, a member of Qatar Foundation (UREP 22-067-5-021). All statements made herein are the responsibility of the author.",
year = "2019",
month = dec,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1017/rms.2019.44",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "53",
pages = "200--220",
journal = "Review of Middle East Studies",
issn = "2151-3481",
publisher = "Middle East Studies Association of North America",
number = "2",
}