Revue Algérienne de la Communication

Arabian Nationalism On Digital Platforms: A Literature Review

Auteurs : Binjaffar Fatma . Mellor Noha .

Résumé

This article offers a scoping literature review of interdisciplinary studies on nationalism, youth, and digital media in the Arabian Gulf, with particular focus on how national identity is performed and negotiated online. The main research question is how existing literature conceptualizes the performance of national identity among Gulf youth in relation to digital media and moral self-presentation, and in addressing this question, this review synthesizes over three decades of theoretical and empirical work across nationalism studies, Arab youth studies, and digital media research. The findings are organized into three main themes: the emergence of national identity beyond the state through everyday civic and moral practices; youth agency and identity performance in Arab and Gulf contexts; and the rise of digital nationalism as a performative and affective phenomenon. The main argument is that the existing literature remains overly focused on surface-level self-representation and gendered visibility, yet does not sufficiently engage with how digital platforms reshape the core meanings of national identity. The results point to the need to engage with everyday digital practices and moral self-presentation, as the review identifies critical gaps and sets the agenda for future research on Gulf digital nationalism, with the UAE as a salient case.

Mots clés

Gulf nationalism, ; national identity, ; digital nationalism, ; influencers.