Hegemony in the Digital Age The Arab/Israeli Conflict Online

by Marmura, Stephen M. E.

• ISBN13: 9780739117729
• ISBN10: 0739117726
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-03-27
• Publisher: Lexington Books

Summary

Internet technology has arguably changed the rules by which individuals, social movements, and institutions compete for political and cultural influence in technologically advanced societies. Stephen M. E. Marmura considers this reality through reference to the concept of hegemony, looking at the ways in which diverse actors-in American civil society-and beyond compete with one another while simultaneously challenging dominant sources of authority. The Arab/Israeli conflict is drawn upon as a boundary object holding direct interest to a wide range of state-aligned lobbies, broadly based social movements, and marginalized "extremist" groups, each of which hopes to affect the course of U.S. Middle East policy.

Author Biography

Stephen M. E. Marmura teaches sociology at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction: Identity and Authority in the Age of Networks	p. 1
Aims and Scope	p. 3
Key Terms and Concepts	p. 5
Political Mobilization	p. 10
The Web as a Mass Medium	p. 13
War on the Web	p. 15
Ideology and Civil Society	p. 16
Net-Based Activism and American Mid-East Policy	p. 19
Grassroots Mobilization and Political Opportunity	p. 19
Activism and the Net: Relevant Precedents	p. 21
Contemporary Peace Camp Activism	p. 26
Net-Based Activism and American Mid-East Policy	p. 37
Public Opinion	p. 37
Backdrop: The Mainstream Media as a Legitimating Identity	p. 37
The Web as an Alternative Mass Medium	p. 42
The Voice of Legitimacy: CNN.com and the Arab/Israeli Conflict	p. 55
CNN.com's "Land of Conflict"	p. 58
Dominant Themes and Validity Claims	p. 58
Anchoring Authority in a De-centered Medium	p. 75
Closing Remarks	p. 84
Hate and Holy War on the WWW	p. 87
Confronting the Other	p. 87
Stormfront.org: Promoting the Cause of "White Nationalism"	p. 90
Kahane.org: Fighting to Eliminate Israel's "Arab Cancer"	p. 97
Radioislam.org: Defending Islam and the West from the "Jewish Threat"	p. 106
Closing Remarks	p. 112
Hate and Holy War on the WWW	p. 115
The Struggle for Influence	p. 115
Social Movement Integration and Growth	p. 117
Building Alliances: Virtual and Real	p. 125
Discussion	p. 135
Hegemony Reconsidered: The Internet, Civil Society, and Social Fragmentation	p. 141
Works Cited	p. 155
Index	p. 169
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