Sharkawi, T. and Ali, N. (2020) Acts of whistleblowing : the case of collective claim making by healthcare workers in Egypt. Interface: a journal for and about social movements, 12 (1). pp. 139-163. ISSN 2009-2431
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
After a brief interlude of democratization ushered in by the Arab uprisings in 2011, Egypt has taken a sharp turn towards authoritarianism. While political repression has disintegrated social movements and demobilized seasoned activists, the outbreak of the coronavirus has afforded an opening for new voices, such as those of healthcare workers who took to social media to expose mismanagement and malpractice within the healthcare sector. The article examines acts of whistleblowing performed by Egypt’s healthcare workers during a public health crisis, drawing on qualitive research materials collected from social media, trade union press releases, and interviews conducted with a small group of doctors and pharmacists. The article contends that individual acts of whistleblowing can produce unconventional practices towards collective claim-making prompting multiple forms of contentious mobilization. The findings highlight main features that facilitate diffusing and sustaining mobilization under prohibitive authoritarian settings.