Stacey Philbrick Yadav, a political science professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, gave a lecture on Sept. 28 titled, “On the Barricades: Collective Action and the Making of New Solidarities in the Arab Uprisings of 2011.”
Yadav received the Sylvia Berger Fellowship in Middle Eastern Studies at Smith College and is a research fellow in the American Institute of Yemeni Studies. Yadav’s travels have given her first-hand encounters with the events she discussed during the lecture.
“I plan to return to Egypt this summer to witness the results of the Egyptian Revolution,” Yadav said when questioned about the results of the uprising that lasted from Jan. 25 to Feb. 11, 2011.
Her lecture on the Middle East primarily focused on the Arab uprisings of 2011 and the events that gradually lead to the development of the uprisings.
Yadav discussed the rebellions taking place in Middle Eastern countries including Lebanon, Yemen and Egypt. She said that rebellion was commonly occurring throughout the Middle East because “as a government they are one thing, but as a people they are another,” and because of this, individuals would keep “demanding institutional representation.”
Yadav said that many political regimes formed because the “youth” believed that the state needed guidance before it could suit the needs of the people. Rebellion in the Middle Eastern countries grew as the identity of the individuals in rebellious groups became collective. Yadav explained this concept as “linking yourself to others who share the same identity.”
When asked about the actions that the United States was taking to help the Middle East, Yadav responded, “I have mixed feelings about to what extent the U.S. should be involved,” but said that as a nation we do indeed involve ourselves in the political affairs of the Middle East.
Sophomore Kristin Zielinski said, “I usually study more European history, but this was a good introduction into Middle Eastern history for me.”
“It was excellent … her ideas that regimes don’t fall into the armies is interesting,” said professor of accounting Mark Mitschow. “I’m curious to see if many of her predictions are correct.”