Social and Political Change

Analyzing social and political trends throughout the region

For more than a decade, calls for social and political change have ricocheted throughout the region. Governments have responded, and their citizens have responded as well. The consequences of the resultant alliances and struggles affect events in individual countries, inspire regional observers, and help shape how governments engage regionally and globally. The Middle East Program tracks social and political trends on a national and regional level to better understand where the region is heading over the next few decades and where it came from.

 

Featured Projects

Photo: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images

Ties that Bind: Family, Tribe, Nation, and the Rise of Arab Individualism

The Arab world is experiencing a revolution. States have relied on pyramids of authority that reach down through society, often through tribes into families. Yet those ties are fraying, and individualism is rising.

Report by Jon B. Alterman — December 2, 2019

Photo: NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP via Getty Images

Work on the Move

Bolstering livelihoods for displaced populations in the Middle East

Project

Featured Analysis

Photo: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Five Factors Mean the Middle East Is Not Back to Normal

In a new commentary, Jon Alterman discusses five major factors that place Middle Eastern governments in a weaker position today than in 2011. He explains how their position is likely to decline even further and what this means for the future of the region.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — May 23, 2023

See all analysis on Social and Political Change

Featured Event

Everyday Choices: A Conversation with Dr. Ellen Lust

Presented by Middle East Program
October 10, 2023 • 11:30 am – 12:30 pm EDT

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