This project aimed to shed light on the complex factors that led to the political significance of youth movements in Tunisia and the complex factors that lead to political stability and instability. The project focused on two aspects; (1) The constitution building in contemporary Tunisia and issues of trust among the political elite concerning the effectiveness of constitutionalism – both as a source for individual rights and as a guarantor of stability. (2) The issue of youth mobilisation as a factor that has been crucial across the Middle East in understanding stability and security.

The legal-political angle of the project focused on Tunisia’s complex transition. A major part of this transition has been the constitutional process, which led to the adoption of a new constitution in January 2014. Crucial to the idea of constitutionalism is that trust among the political actors is being expressed about constitutions being adhered to, and trust in the judicial institutions to oversee the enforcement of constitutional principles in the practice of government.

It has been found that mostly young men, typically in their 20s coming from lower middle class or poor backgrounds, tend to organise in movements that exhibit a significant amount of distrust towards the political elite in Tunisia. These youth tend to live in either rural regions or in the impoverished slums of big urban cities in coastal regions. Most young men who mobilise against the Tunisian state appear to have also revolted against Ben-Ali’s regime in December 2010, demanding economic and personal rights. The research found that they tend to see themselves as deeply marginalised actors in a context dominated by secular regimes at the national and the global levels. Tunisian youth have succeeded in the last two years in promoting their existence as a movement, thereby gaining public support by addressing their concerns through their involvement in charitable work, supporting vulnerable families.

The complex process of subjectification undertaken by these young men within the specific historical context of Tunisia was the main focus of this research. The research raised a number of questions: Why do young men choose this particular path of subjectification and not others? How is the chosen subjectivity of becoming a member of a youth mobilisation translated into civic and social actions? How far is it possible to reconcile this subjectification with that of being a Tunisian citizen? Consequently, what are the origins of what is commonly viewed as the youth opposition to the modern secular state in Tunisia and elsewhere in the Middle East?

This project forms part of the Academic Collaboration with Arab Universities Programme, funded by the Emirates Foundation.

Project Outputs

• The Limit-Experience and Self-Deradicalisation: The Example of Radical Salafi youth in Tunisia. Muhanna-Matar, A. (2017). Critical Studies on Terrorism, 10(3), pp.453-475.

Research Team