TY - JOUR

T1 - Acts of whistleblowing

T2 - the case of collective claim making by healthcare workers in Egypt

AU - Sharkawi, T.

AU - Ali, N.

PY - 2020/7/8

Y1 - 2020/7/8

N2 - After a brief interlude of democratization ushered in by the Arab uprisings in2011, Egypt has taken a sharp turn towards authoritarianism. While politicalrepression has disintegrated social movements and demobilized seasonedactivists, the outbreak of the coronavirus has afforded an opening for newvoices, such as those of healthcare workers who took to social media to exposemismanagement and malpractice within the healthcare sector. The articleexamines acts of whistleblowing performed by Egypt’s healthcare workersduring a public health crisis, drawing on qualitive research materials collectedfrom social media, trade union press releases, and interviews conducted with asmall group of doctors and pharmacists. The article contends that individualacts of whistleblowing can produce unconventional practices towards collectiveclaim-making prompting multiple forms of contentious mobilization. Thefindings highlight main features that facilitate diffusing and sustainingmobilization under prohibitive authoritarian settings.

AB - After a brief interlude of democratization ushered in by the Arab uprisings in2011, Egypt has taken a sharp turn towards authoritarianism. While politicalrepression has disintegrated social movements and demobilized seasonedactivists, the outbreak of the coronavirus has afforded an opening for newvoices, such as those of healthcare workers who took to social media to exposemismanagement and malpractice within the healthcare sector. The articleexamines acts of whistleblowing performed by Egypt’s healthcare workersduring a public health crisis, drawing on qualitive research materials collectedfrom social media, trade union press releases, and interviews conducted with asmall group of doctors and pharmacists. The article contends that individualacts of whistleblowing can produce unconventional practices towards collectiveclaim-making prompting multiple forms of contentious mobilization. Thefindings highlight main features that facilitate diffusing and sustainingmobilization under prohibitive authoritarian settings.

KW - acts of whistleblowing

KW - social movements

KW - authoritarianism

KW - COVID-19

KW - Egypt

M3 - Journal article

VL - 12

SP - 139

EP - 163

JO - Interface: a journal for and about social movements

JF - Interface: a journal for and about social movements

SN - 2009-2431

IS - 1

ER -