Brief learning objectives have been made available by the author, to assist you with your studies.

This chapter will enable a greater understanding of:

• The debates around democratisation in the Middle East and Arab world.

• Various tensions related to the relationship between Islam and democracy.

• The multiplicity of factors behind the uprisings, including region-wide and country specific trends.

• The role of information technology, including social media, during the Arab uprisings.

• The dynamics of the Arab uprisings since late 2010 through case studies of Tunisia and Egypt.