ABSTRACT

Social movements are defined as an organized effort by a large number of people to

bring about change. The social media age and the 21st century are pivotal years in terms
of changing the form that special interest groups take. Social movements, although
effective in the past, face many criticisms in today’s world. Accordingly, this research
aims to determine the advancements made within human rights and social movements
during the 21st century. In order to study the effects of social movements, two data
collection methods were used. First, information was obtained from six academic
publications after 2010. Second, a questionnaire containing 14 questions, in Arabic and
English was sent out. The survey received 254 responses via the social media platforms
Snapchat, and WhatsApp. The collected data were then analyzed using Microsoft Excel.
The findings indicated that most people in Saudi Arabia are knowledgeable regarding
movements and think that social media has increased awareness about human rights
and social activism. Concurrently, this emphasizes the magnitude of social media and
how it has aided in the spread of knowledge. However, the respondents either rarely or
never use social media to discuss political issues or movements. The survey also
concluded that the majority stipulate that movements persuade politicians to make
changes in policy. This research aids in bridging the gap of research performed
regarding the influence of Western-led movements in the Middle East and allows for
more in-depth future exploration. The limitations of this research were the lack of
reliable data on the global influence of Western-led movements and ideals. In fact, the
neutrality of the participants in many of the survey questions provided limited data to
form, or support any conclusions. Lastly, it is suggested that further research contact an
expert in politics, as well as formulating more relevant questions that contribute to the
body of work.

Index terms- Black Lives Matter (BLM), social media, social movements, special
interest groups, Western ideals
Conclusion

Social movements have allowed people to come together and speak on ongoing issues in their
respective countries, and the rise of technology has evidently allowed more people to come
together and form special interest groups This research offered a comprehensive dissection of
social movements in the 21st century, which included outlining the prevalent groups,
discussing the effects on politics, and lastly, the influence of Western ideals on the Middle
East. Furthermore, the research concluded that, as shown in [Fig. 2 p.], social media has
aided in the spread of knowledge and increased the number of active action groups. However,
most individuals reported that they either rarely or never use social media to discuss social or
political issues. Also, it was found that while most respondents maintain that social
movements are effective in persuading politicians, the sources could not unanimously support
the claim. To illustrate, 80% agree movements were necessary [Fig. 7 p.], Mongiello et al [1]
completely contradicts the survey, and claims traditional protests are powerless in
government. Lastly, the research found a significant influence of Western led movements on
the Middle East by performing a case-by-case analyses. This research aids in narrowing the
gap of knowledge, provides a brief analysis of social movements in the 21st century, and
allows for more in-depth exploration in the future. Overall, there was a lack of suitable data
regarding the influence of Western ideals in the Middle East, as well as globally. Therefore,
conclusive arguments to support the claims could not be made. In brief, the limitations of the
research were a lack of relevancy between the research questions and the survey. For future
research, it is recommended to ask more concise and relevant survey questions that can
support the research. As the turbulent 2020 ends, active social movements need to re-examine
the way their respective movements are being conducted and transition into more effective
methods of protest that do not include street protesting.