2011 Tahrir Square Demonstrations in Egypt: Semantic Structures That Unify And Divide

摘要

Whileliteraturehasfocusedonpolitical,economicandsocialindicatorstounderstandtheshifts,orratherthefragmentationsofthepoliticalsceneinEgypt,theroleofsemioticconstructionswassignificantlyifnottotallyneglected.ThisarticleinvestigateswhetherthedemandsandmessagesproducedbyprotestersofTahrirSquareinJanuary2011haveplayedaroleinprocessesofunificationandfragmentationofEgyptians.FollowingRolandBarthes’(2006)andChrisBarker’s(2011)methodsoflinkagetodefinethemeaningssuggestedbythecommentariesthatappearedonthebannersduringthedemonstrationsof2011inEgypt,thisarticlearguesthatthedemands,messagesandmeaningsproducedandsuggestedthroughoutthedemonstrationsof2011inEgypthavenotbeenrespondedtoaccordingly;thereforetheyhavecreatedacomplicatedtransformationalprocessthatisrepletewithpolarization.Themessages,whichbroughtpeopletocollectivelyactagainstauthoritarianism,arethesamemessagesthathaveoutflankedthem.AnEgyptianprofounddebatetodefinethesignifiedmeaningsatTahrirSquarehasnotoccurredinEgyptleavingatremendousspaceforinterpretationsandconflictingperceptions.