Social and political geography of the Tunisian revolution: The alfa grass revolution

Review of African Political Economy

Volumn 38, Issue 129, 2011, Pages 467-479

  Ayeb, Habib ^a  

^a American University in Cairo   (Egypt)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

MARGINALIZATION; POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY; POLITICAL RELATIONS; SOCIAL PARTICIPATION; STATE ROLE;

TUNISIA;

EID: 84858432368     PISSN: 03056244     EISSN: 17401720     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/03056244.2011.604250     Document Type: Article

References (8)

1. In this essay I perhaps take some liberties with the complex concept of 'middle class', which should be defined at the outset. By middle class, I mean the social group composed of individuals whose functions, social status and/or incomes are different from 'popular' classes and from social marginalised groups, on the one hand, and of high bourgeoisie on the other hand.
2. I consider it legitimate to talk about a 'first Arab democratic revolution', unless the Lawrence of Arabia 'revolution' is considered a real revolution, which does not in my opinion correspond to the facts.
3. A young graduate and unemployed man - which is the case for hundreds of thousands of young people - who apparently does not shave and who frequents the mosque at dawn for the first prayer of the day is systematically suspected of active Islamism, and can experience the prison life sequence that starts with the torture sessions in police stations or even the cellars of theMinistry of the Interior.
4. Stora, B., 2011. Tunisia is not Algeria, neither is it Morocco, nor Iran. Marianne, 718. 22-28 January, p. 41.
5. Alfa, or esparto, grass, also known as 'halfah' (alpha/alfa) grass or 'needle grass', Macrochloa tenacissima and Stipa tenacissima, is a perennial grass grown in northwest Africa and the southern part of the Iberian peninsula employed for crafts (ropes, baskets, espadrilles, etc.). See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esparto [Accessed 10 May 2011].
6. This chronology was reconstituted from numerous different sources. However, many elements were partially or integrally taken from those published in the very rich document 'une cartographie géomediatique de la crise tunisienne' published by the website of CIST; Collège International des Sciences du Territoire [The International College of Territory Science]. Available from: http://www.gis-cist.fr/index.php/main-sections/axesde-recherche/geomedia-mapper/dossiers-ducist/pourquoi-sidi-bouzid/2-une-chronologiedesevenements-tunisiens/ [Accessed 28 March 2011].
7. Sidi Bouzid belongs to the central region of Tunisia. A town of 5000 inhabitants in 1973, promoted chief town, Sidi Bouzid became in a short period of time a mediumsized town of 40,000 inhabitants. In the 1970s, the region experienced an important development of irrigated crops, but some years ago, this activity quickly declined due to salinisation of agriculture lands, problems of underground water tables, etc. See: http://www.gis-cist.fr/index.php/main-sections/axes-de-recherche/geomediamapperdossiers-du-cist/pourquoi-sidibouzid/).
8. The UGTTwas the only labour union up till 1 February 2011, when the CGTT (Confédération Générale des Travailleurs Tunisiens) was founded.