"They revolted because they deserved better"

In a recent New York Times article reference is made to the driving force behind the youth involvement in the revolutions happening throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The author of this article speaks to the ideals and concerns of a new generation of Libyans, quoting one man in particular: 


“People here didn’t revolt because they were hungry, because they wanted power or for religious reasons or something,” said Abdel-Rahman al-Dihami, a young man from Benghazi who had spent days at the front. “They revolted because they deserve better.”


This offers clear insight into what drives social change. The desire for societal improvement is powerful, and when youth find themselves being forced to follow in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents they are inclined to fight against the norm, against what they are being forced into, for the purpose of obtaining something better. While the case of revolution in the Middle East is more obvious, this was the same driving forced behind the student revolutions of 1960's/1970's America. Students revolting did not want to live a life of segregation, Army drafts, race wars, etc. They saw what their parent's went through, what their parents existed for, and they were eager to make their lives different. And they were willing to do so by force. 

The Power of Symbolic Action in Revolution

Upon learning that Osama Bin Laden has been killed after nearly a decade of persecution, one of my first thoughts was how powerful such a simple occurrence would be. Death occurs in war often without notice, but the shooting of Osama Bin Landen is so much more than a war death. That is because of the symbolism attached to the act. While in reality this shooting only ended the life of someone who helped harm America in a very serious way some years ago, to thousands of Americans this shooting is the end of an era. It symbolizes justice, retribution, payback, and so much more. 

The role is symbolic action in influencing a nation of people is incredibly interesting, especially within the context of youth revolt. In particular, think of the many video clips and photos of mobs of young people tearing down statues of their oppressors, taking a symbolic swipe at the power that individual holds. On a more peaceful level, student resistance often uses symbolic action to make their stand. In the states students last month took a vow of silence for 25 hours in order to show solidarity against child abuse in the U.S. 

While symbolic actions against an entity, trend, or movement do not usually result directly in social change, what they achieve is exposure and often a rapid-fire expansion of support and enthusiasm for the cause. I saw this first hand this week, when many of my most apathetic of friends were inspired by a surge of patriotism at the death of Osama Bin Laden. This same method is often found in cases of student resistance and revolution. From wearing symbolic clothing to their school or university to attract attention to their cause, to physically causing the destruction of something like a building, person, or statue in order to show the seriousness of their devotion to change while also garnering attention, support, and exposure.