The Digital Double Bind: Change and Stasis in the Middle East

The Digital Double Bind explores how the Middle East's digital turn intersects with complex political, economic, and socio-cultural dynamics, showing how the same forces that brought promises of change have also engendered tensions and contradictions. It offers a path-breaking analysis of change and stasis in the Middle East and provides a roadmap for critical engagement with digitality in the Global South.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 28 March 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The digital has emerged as a transformative force, reshaping our daily lives and impacting nearly every aspect of vital activity. However, its impact has not been universally uniform, with diverse implications across different regions. In their book "The Digital Double Bind," Mohamed Zayani and Joe F. Khalil delve into the complex interplay between the Middle East's digital turn and its political, economic, and socio-cultural dynamics. Through extensive local research and rich case studies, the authors shed light on how the same forces that promised change through digital transformation have also generated tensions and contradictions. They argue that the resulting disjunctures have confined the region in a double bind, characterized by the simultaneous embrace and resistance to digital advancements.

The authors highlight that the conditions that drive the state, market, and public immersion in the digital also hinder the region's ability to transform. This paradoxical situation presents a unique challenge for policymakers, entrepreneurs, and individuals seeking to navigate the digital landscape. The Digital Double Bind reconsiders the relationship between technology and change, moving beyond simplistic binaries and familiar trajectories of the network society. It offers a groundbreaking analysis of change and stasis in the Middle East and provides a valuable roadmap for engaging critically with digitality in the Global South.

By exploring the nuances and complexities of the digital transformation in the Middle East, "The Digital Double Bind" contributes to our understanding of the broader global digital landscape. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the diverse experiences and perspectives of different regions and the need for tailored strategies to address the challenges and opportunities posed by digitality. As we continue to navigate the rapidly evolving digital world, this book serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, scholars, and anyone interested in understanding the complex dynamics of change in the 21st century.

Weight: 456g
Dimension: 234 x 157 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197508633