The Role of Social Media in the 2011 Tahrir Square Movement in Egypt
Main Article Content
Abstract
Social media played a vital role in shaping a public sphere under authoritarian conditions during the 2011 Tahrir Square movement in Egypt. Drawing on Habermas’s (1989) concept of the public sphere, this paper examines how social media—particularly the Facebook page “We Are All Khaled Said”—catalyzed civic engagement and political mobilization. Using a literature review and rhetorical discourse analysis, the study applies resource mobilization theory (Carty, 2014; Tilly, 2004) to conceptualize social media as a modern tool for public participation. While previous research has explored the general role of social media during the movement (Abdulla, 2023; Alaimo, 2015), few have focused on the rhetorical power of specific platforms in resisting authoritarian control. This study fills that gap by analyzing how the persuasive messages and narratives of “We Are All Khaled Said” empowered citizens, strengthened collective identity, and challenged the Mubarak regime. Findings reveal that the rhetorical strength of social media discourse transformed digital spaces into powerful arenas of democratic resistance, illustrating how online communication can mobilize social action and sustain public discourse even in constrained political environments.
Highlights
The study explores how social media strengthened the public sphere under authoritarian conditions during Egypt’s 2011 Tahrir Square movement.
It applies Habermas’s concept of the public sphere and Resource Mobilization Theory to interpret the digital mobilization process.
Rhetorical discourse analysis of the Facebook page “We Are All Khaled Said” reveals how persuasive messages catalyzed collective action.
Findings show that ethos, pathos, and logos in social media messages enhanced civic engagement and challenged the state narrative.
The study demonstrates that social media can operate as a resource for political participation and democratic expression in authoritarian regimes.
Article Details
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Copyright: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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