Putting Out Fire with Gasoline in Tahrir Square: Revisiting the Gamson Hypothesis

Bahaa Gameel, Shuning Lu, Hyeri Jung, Thomas J. Johnson

Abstract


This study situates the Gamson hypothesis in the non-Western country of Egypt with an attempt to explore the relationship between the Gamson typology and political behavior in a country that has traditionally been under an authoritarian regime. Furthermore, this study suggests that additional factors might play important roles in the traditional relationship; it examines a possible link among media use, political corruption, and political rights to the Gamson typology based on a representative national survey conducted in Egypt. Several results differed from studies conducted in the Western world. Dissidents were more likely to engage in conventional political activities, which goes against the Gamson hypothesis. High efficacy regardless of trust level predicted conventional activities. This study aims not only to enrich the model but also to enhance our understanding of the diverse nature of the relationships among the Gamson typology and perceptions of political system, media use, and political activities in a non-Western authoritarian state.


Keywords


Gamson hypothesis, Gamson typology, Egypt, political behavior, media use

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