IOSR-JHSS   Volume-4 ~ Issue-6 ~ Nov-Dec-2012

Paper Type	:	Research Paper
Title	:	The Role of Social Media in the Recent Political Shifts in the Middle East and North Africa
Country	:	Malaysia
Authors	:	Farhad Rezaei, Ronen A. Cohen
	:	10.9790/0837-0460110
Downloads : Times

Abstract:This paper intends to demonstrate the significant role of the social medias during the last several years and in the outbreak of recent revolutions and social protests in the Middle East and North Africa, which has led to deep systemic changes. The role of the Facebook and Twitter was considerable in uprising and by helping citizens to overthrow of dictators that governed them in Egypt, Tunisia and turmoil and spreading of sensitive information at the national context in Iran, Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Libya. The digital media is making possible the real political shifts. After reviewing the literature, we argue that how social medias initiated the downfall of the tyrannical regimes of the Middle East and North Africa.
Keywords:Social Media, Middle East, North Africa, Political Shifts, Revolutions, Social Protest.

[1] ALBRIGHT, M. K., WEBER, V. & COOK, S. A. 2005. In support of Arab democracy: why and how: report of an independent task
force, Council on Foreign Relations Press.
[2] ALTERMAN, J. B. 1998. New media, new politics?: from satellite television to the Internet in the Arab world, Washington Institute for Near East Policy Washington, DC.
[3] ANDERSON, J. W. 1999. Technology, media, and the next generation in the Middle East. New Media and Information Technology
Working Papers.
[4] BAJRAKTARI, Y. & PARAJON, C. 2009. The Role of the Media in Conflict.
[5] BEEMAN, W. O. 2008. The" Great Satan" vs. the" Mad Mullahs": how the United States and Iran demonize each other, University
of Chicago Press.
[6] BOMS, N. June 26, 2008. OP-ED: Facebook in the Middle East‖. The Washington Times A.
[7] ÇAĞAPTAY, S. August 7, 2011 Internet Freedom Is the First Freedom of the 21st Century. Available:
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC06.php?CID=1693.
[8] CORSI, J. R. 2009. Why Israel Can't Wait: The Coming War Between Israel and Iran, Simon and Schuster.
[9] COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, I. & STAFF The New Arab Revolt: What Happened, What it Means, and What Comes
Next, Council on Foreign Relations.
[10] G, I. C. 24 February 2011 Popular Protest in North Africa and the Middle East (I): Egypt Victorious?‖ International Crisis Group

Abstract:Education is the most important tool for development of any society. In India, higher education has been beneficial for some but not for all streams of the society. There is a need to make the process more inclusive because some millions of people in the country have seen almost no rewards. The results of globalization are mixed. The benefits have not reached the majority and new risks have emerged for the socially deprived and rural poor. It has also created socio-economic and cultural disparities in the society. The disparities are found in creating a gap between caste, class and communities. The present education system has failed to inclusive of equal opportunity to entire section of the society. This development has led to the unequal distribution of socio- economic standard of the society. There is a need to study inclusive of all sections of the society for providing equal standard of education and equal opportunity for the major sections of the society for the development of nation.
Keywords: Cultural aspect, Economic inequality, Globalization, Higher education & Social inequality.

[1] Agarwal, P. (2006). Higher education in India: The need for change (Working paper #180). Indian Council for Research on
International Economic Relations. Retrieved April 22, 2007, from http://www.icrier.org/publication/working_papers_180.html
[2] Agarwal, P. (2007). Higher education in India: Growth, concerns and change agenda. Higher Education Quarterly, 61(2), 197-207.
[3] Aggarwal, J. C. (2004). Development of education system in India. Delhi, India: Shipra.
[4] Altbach, P. G,. Berdahl, R. O., & Gumport, P. J. (Eds.). (2005). American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social,
political, and economic challenges (2nd ed.). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
[5] Altbach, P. G. (1989). Twisted roots: The western impact on Asian higher education. Higher Education, 18(1), 9-29.
[6] Altbach, P. G. (2005a). Higher education in India. The Hindu. Retrieved May 24, 2007, from
http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/12/stories/2005041204141000.htm
[7] Altbach, P. G. (2005b). Academic corruption: The continuing challenge. International Higher Education, 38, 5-6. Retrieved
September 25, 2007, from http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/newsletter/News38/text003.htm
[8] Altbach, P. G., & Umakoshi, T. (Eds.). (2004). Asian universities: Historical perspectives and contemporary challenges. Baltimore:
The Johns Hopkins University Press.
[9] Altbach, P., (2003) American accreditation of foreign universities: colonialism in action, International Higher Education, 32, pp. 5- 7.
[10] Bagla, P. (2007). Beyond islands of excellence. Science, 317, 74-75.

Abstract:Male and female are like two sides of the same coin. The development of science and the society is due to the combined effort of male & female members in the society. But in actual practice they are not treated equally. In the patrilineal societies, women are not considered as equal with men, though they enjoy a better social status than men. In patrilineal societies a women, after the marriage, leave her natal place permanently and goes to reside with her husband. Again, in patrilineal societies the ritual role of the male is considered more vital than the female. These being the most influential reasons, the women have remained backward in various fields as compared to males. In some traditional societies, they are considered as social and economic burden on the parents and hence some of the parents do not prefer to have female issues. We will discuss different issues but emphasis will be given on health. Two states in North-East India namely Meghalaya & Tripura have been chosen for investigation. Meghalaya is dominated by tribes who belong to matrilineal societies, whereas Tripura is almost completely patrilineal. We have investigated the gender differences in these two states.
Key Words:Patrilineal Societies, Matrilineal Societies, Social Status, Gender Differences, Health

[1] Beteille. A., (1974), social Inequality, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, New Delhi
[2] Chattopadhyay, R. and E. Duflo (2001): "Women as Policy Maker: Evidence from a India -wide Randomized Policy Experiment",
[3] Choksi, Armeane M. (1995): Forward in "Toward Gender Inequality: The Role of Public Policy", World Bank Publications,
Washington D.C., USA, p. viii.
[4] Devendra, Kiran (1993): "Sex Discrimination: Before and Birth", in Girl Child and Family Violence, ed. Pramila Kapur, New
Delhi, Har Anand Publications.
[5] Ghosh, B & U.K. De(2002), " Leadership and the performance of panchayats in Rural Development: An Experience from Tripura "
paper presented at the UGC national seminar on " Transformation in Rural Society‟, held at Tufanjang Mahavidyalaya, West
Bengal, on 24-25 September , 2002.
[6] Hamilton, Cicely (1981) , Marriage as a trade, Women‟s press London.
[7] Madhu Kishwar (1996): in Munshi, http://www.freespeech.org/manushi/ 96/zenana.html.
[8] Menon, L.D. (1975), "India and International Women‟s Year", India Quarterly, Vol. 31. No. 3, July- Sept., p. 278.
[9] Schreiner, Olive (1978) Women and Labour , Virago, London, p.1.
[10] Thomas P. (1964), Indian Women through The Age, Asia Publishing house, Bombay, p.49

Abstract:Education for Sustainable Development allows every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future. Education for Sustainable Development means including key sustainable development issues into teaching and learning; for example, climate change, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, poverty reduction, and sustainable consumption. It also requires participatory teaching and learning methods that motivate and empower learners to change their behaviour and take action for sustainable development. Education for Sustainable Development consequently promotes competencies like critical thinking, imagining future scenarios and making decisions in a collaborative way.

[[1] Arjomand, Said Amir, 'The Law, Agency, and Policy in Medieval Islamic Society: Development of the Institutions of Learning
from the Tenth to the Fifteenth Century', Comparative Studies in Society and History, 1999
[2] Berkey, Jonathan, The Transmission of Knowledge in Medieval Cairo: A Social History of Islamic Education, Pr inceton
University Press, 1992
[3] Ephrat, Daphna, A learned society in a period of transition: the Sunni ulama of eleventh century Baghdad, Albany: State
University of New York, Press, 2000.
[4] Gilbert, Joan E., 'Institutionalization of Muslim Scholarship and Professionalization of the Ulama in Medieval Damascus', Studia
Islamica 52, 1980.
[5] Leiser, Gary, 'Notes on the Madrasa in medieval Islamic society', Muslim World, 1986
[6] Lowry, Joseph E et al. (eds.), Law and Education in Medieval Islam: Studies in Memory of George Makdisi, E.J.W. Gibb
Memorial Trust, 2004.
[7] Mahamid, Hatim, 'The Construction of Islamic-Educational Institutions in Mamluk Gaza', Nebula 2007
[8] Mortel, RT, 'Madrasa in Mecca during the Medieval Period: A Descriptive Study Based on Literary Sources', Bulletin of SOAS,
1997.
[9] Muhammad Sajid Qasmi, "Madrasa Education Frameworks, Manak Publications, New Delhi, 2005
[10] Muhammadullah Khali Qasmi, "Madrasa Education: Its Strength and Weakness", New Delhi: Manas Publications, 2005