Date of Award

8-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

School

Communication

Committee Chair

Dr. Fei Xue

Committee Chair School

Communication

Committee Member 2

Dr. Steven Venette

Committee Member 2 School

Communication

Committee Member 3

Dr. Laura Stengrim

Committee Member 3 School

Communication

Committee Member 4

Dr. Mary Sheffer

Committee Member 4 School

Communication

Committee Member 5

Dr. Edgar Simpson

Committee Member 5 School

Communication

Abstract

Smart mobile phones are an essential development for personal computers, and as a result of the explosion of knowledge and advanced modern discoveries, this development has become accompanied by fundamental changes in many areas of life, especially those whose daily practices overlap with the features of this technology. Mobile phones have become a means of mass communication and a vital media tool thanks to the tremendous development in their characteristics. In the Arab world, mobile phones were critical tools for disseminating information, expression, and protest, particularly after the Arab Spring protests. The study employed the Communication Mediation Model (O-S-R-O-R) to examine its validity in smartphone political usage in the Arab world. It also applied Gramsci’s theory of hegemony as a critical perspective. A survey of the Arab countries was conducted to test the study’s hypotheses and the research question. The results revealed that the more Arab individuals are interested in current events, the more likely they are to consume political news via mobile phone. This dissertation suggests that Arab individuals who consume more news using their smartphones tend to feel more confident and empowered in their political efficacy, and they are more likely to participate in politics. In addition, the results revealed that individuals tend toward political expression when their level of political participation is higher, and the higher their political efficacy, the greater their tendency to express their political opinions. It was noteworthy that two new and vital directions appear in the final model between political participation and political efficacy and between smartphone news consumption and political expression. These two paths indicated that individuals who are active in political participation may also enjoy higher levels of political effectiveness and that exposure to news and information via mobile phones can play a role in motivating individuals to express their political opinions. Finally, it concluded that this dissertation’s findings align with the framework of the O-S-R-O-R model. The study argues that smartphone technology represents overcoming the authorities’ control imposed on the media and opens new horizons toward dismantling oppression and dictatorship by establishing and creating anti-hegemonic messages.

ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0280-4585

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