Islam Hassan | Durham University (original) (raw)

Edited Volumes by Islam Hassan

CIRS Special Issue of The Muslim World, 2017

This special issue of The Muslim World studies the state of Middle Eastern youth, focusing on the... more This special issue of The Muslim World studies the state of Middle Eastern youth, focusing on the ways in which their experiences continue to shape their worldviews and their priorities. The contribution of this special issue to the burgeoning literature on Middle Eastern youth enhances our understanding of the lives of the young in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and examines Middle Eastern youth’s novel methods of mobilization and its regeneration of a new consciousness. This special issue emerged as one of the research initiatives undertaken by the Center for International and Regional Studies of Georgetown University in Qatar in collaboration with Silatech. A number of specialists and scholars helped identify original research questions concerning the study of Middle Eastern Youth, and shaped the intellectual discussions that went into crafting this special issue.

Refereed Articles by Islam Hassan

HAWWA, 2018

The family in Qatar plays a significant role in shaping its members’ lives, passing down the domi... more The family in Qatar plays a significant role in shaping its members’ lives, passing down the dominant culture with its history, traditions, values, customs, and social order to subsequent generations. Through the institution of marriage, individuals have been choosing their partners based on criteria passed down to them by their families. They have also been preserving and reproducing the culture, traditions, values, and customs invested in them by their own families by reinvesting them into their own children. By relying on a mixed method approach, the author investigates the role of the family and marriage institutions in the sustenance and stimulation of the reproduction of social stratification in Qatari society. This article is the first of its kind to address the phenomenon of reproduction of social stratification in an Arab state of the Persian Gulf.

The Jordanian state is believed to be on the brink of failure. Many structural tensions has been ... more The Jordanian state is believed to be on the brink of failure. Many structural tensions has been escalating over the years; thus, weakening the state, making it more vulnerable, and pushing it closer towards the breakout of a crisis. The purpose of this essay is to examine early warning conflict signs present in Jordan. The paper alerts that the escalation of tensions in Jordan leaves it standing on its final threshold before the outbreak of a conflict. This paper aims to encourage policy makers in Jordan to try finding solutions and policies to contain these tensions and prevent the expected eruption of a crisis.

Book Chapters by Islam Hassan

Sites of Pluralism: Community Politics in the Middle East. Ed. First Oruc (New York: Oxford University Press, 2019

This chapter examines the question of how the ruling family proactively continues to consolidate ... more This chapter examines the question of how the ruling family proactively continues to consolidate its own position within Qatari society some 165 years after first coming to power. The state adopts three primary means to reproduce and stimulate the existing inclusion and exclusion schemes in Qatari society. First, it promotes the dominant Arab social values, culture, traditions, and customs that perpetuate a scheme of inclusion and exclusion, and secure the position of the ruling family and Arab tribal social actors at the apex of the social hierarchy of the state. Second, it narrows down the definition of national identity in order to limit vertical social mobility in society only to certain tribal families. In doing so, the state has limited the official narrative of homeland, common myths, and historical memories to being of an Arab tribal origin and practicing the Wahhabi version of Sunni Islam. Third, through articles of the constitution, the legal system and implicit family policies related to marriage and nationality, the state has been influencing individuals, insofar as marriage choices are concerned, as a further means of preventing social mobility to a wider strata of society. In investigating the question at hand, a qualitative methods approach is adopted that analyzes primary and secondary sources such as the constitution of the State of Qatar, Qatar’s Family Law, and government documents. The paper argues that some articles of the constitution and legal code, symbols, and official history of Qatar made this systematic maintenance and stimulation of the Qatari social order possible. This, in turn, has secured the position of the ruling monarchy—and its Arab tribal allies—at the apex of the social pyramid in Qatari society.

Gulf Cooperation Council's Challenges and Prospects, Mar 31, 2015

The crisis symbolised by the withdrawal from Doha of the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, the United ... more The crisis symbolised by the withdrawal from Doha of the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Bahrain in March, 2014, was the first of its kind since the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and therefore set a precedent in terms of dispute resolution between the six member states. The disagreement that sparked the ambassadors’ withdrawal was among the most serious in recent years, and threatened to seriously undermine relations between the GCC states. The crisis certainly affected the GCC negatively at first – raising questions among member states, revealing shifts in their political agendas, and changing the balance of power in the region to some extent.
This chapter discusses causes of the crisis, and a review of its development and eventual resolution with the signing of the Riyadh Supplementary Agreement on 16 November 2014. This chapter suggests that the crisis will continue to affect the GCC in future. While the immediate crisis has passed, the loss of trust between the GCC states is likely to take some time to resolve. Nevertheless, the resolutions that emerged from the 35th GCC summit held in Doha on 9 December 2014 indicate a kind of convergence in understanding among the GCC countries on a number of regional issues. This convergence was arrived at in the context of various regional pressures on the member states and the Gulf region as a whole, stemming particularly from concerns around the emergence of the Islamic State and Iran’s nuclear programme. Finally, the chapter argues that resolution of the crisis is indicative of the maturity of the GCC states, and reflects their ability to focus on prioritising their own local interests. In the longer term, it seems likely that this maturity will enhance integration and strengthen the GCC.

الخلافات الخليجية الخليجية: الأسباب، القضايا وآليات الحل, Jan 15, 2015

مثَّلت أزمة سحب كل من المملكة العربية السعودية ودولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة ومملكة البحرين لسفر... more مثَّلت أزمة سحب كل من المملكة العربية السعودية ودولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة ومملكة البحرين لسفرائها من الدوحة، وهو الحدث الأول من نوعه على مرِّ تاريخ مجلس التعاون الخليجي منذ نشأته، علامة فارقة في طبيعة الخلافات بين دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي الست.

ويعدُّ هذا الخلاف من أهمِّ الخلافات التي عصفت بالمنطقة في السنوات الأخيرة، وكاد يُهدِّد العمل الخليجي المشترك، ويُؤثِّر سلبيًّا على منظومة دول مجلس التعاون؛ بما أثاره من تساؤلات طرحها في أروقة البيت الخليجي، وتحولات في الأجندة السياسية، وتغيُّرات في موازين القوى في المنطقة.

تناقش هذه الورقة أسباب هذه الأزمة الخليجية التي نشبت في مارس/آذار 2014، وتستعرض قضاياها، وتطوراتها، وصولاً إلى تجاوزها بعودة السفراء إلى الدوحة، بعد أن وقَّعت دولة قطر اتفاق الرياض التكميلي في 16 نوفمبر/تشرين الثاني 2014.

ويصل الباحث إلى نتيجة مفادها أن الآثار المستقبلية لهذه الأزمة على مسيرة التعاون الخليجي تظل باقية، منوهًا إلى أنه ربما تكون أزمة سحب السفراء قد انتهت، ولكن ستبقى هناك أزمة ثقة بين دول مجلس التعاون.

وتنوه الورقة أيضًا إلى أنه رغم ذلك، فإنَّ قرارات القمَّة الخليجية المختصرة التي عُقدت في الدوحة في 9 ديسمبر/ كانون الأول 2014 تشير إلى حدوث بعض التقارب والتفاهم في عدد من الملفات الإقليمية بين دول المجلس، تحت ضغوطات المرحلة، وخاصة التحديات الراهنة المتمثِّلة في المخاوف الأمنية من الإرهاب والنووي الإيراني.

وتبين أنه يجب أن يُؤخذ بعين الاعتبار النضج الواضح للسياسة الخليجية في الآونة الأخيرة، والذي يتجلَّى في مواقفها الخارجية، ومساعيها وراء مصالحها المحلية، مؤكدة أن هذا النضج سيعزِّز عاجلاً أو آجلاً مفهوم الاندماج، ويُوحِّد من المصالح والمواقف الخليجية الخارجية.

Summary Reports by Islam Hassan

Arabic Summary Report, 2020

درسنا في مشروعنا هذا، وبشكل موسّع، التطور التاريخي للتنوع والفسيفساء التعددية في الشرق الأوسط، وم... more درسنا في مشروعنا هذا، وبشكل موسّع، التطور التاريخي للتنوع والفسيفساء التعددية في الشرق الأوسط، ومدى تأثير هذا التطوّر على الديناميات السياسية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية الحالية في المنطقة. وتناولنا العديد من الموضوعات الأخرى، فدرسنا الفهم الاجتماعي-السياسي للتعددية في الشرق الأوسط، وكيف أن الأفكار والسرديات الخاصة بمصطلح "الأقلية" هي بحد ذاتها إشكاليّة من الناحية المفاهيمية، وكثيراً ما يتم الطعن فيها في الواقع. وأعدنا دراسة دور الدولة من حيث تعزيز (أو تحدّي) التنوع الوطني، من خلال فرض سردية وطنيّة للتجانس، وكذلك من خلال تطوير هياكل مؤسسية للدولة تحكم الاقتصاد، والمجال السياسي، والتعليم، وغيرها من القطاعات الاجتماعية. كما سعينا لدراسة الخيارات السياسية والثقافية والقانونية والتعليمية التي طبقتها الدول لحماية (أو عدم حماية) الفسيفساء الوطنية لمواطنيها. يهدف المشروع إلى زيادة التركيز على كيفية انعكاس التعددية والتنوع في المجالات "الناعمة"، مثل الهندسة المعمارية والمسطّحات الحضرية، في اللغويات والأدب والساحات الاجتماعية والثقافية.

Arabic Summary Report 26, 2020

مثّلت القبيلة تقليدياً أقدم مؤسسة اجتماعية في منطقة الخليج الكبرى (دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي واليم... more مثّلت القبيلة تقليدياً أقدم مؤسسة اجتماعية في منطقة الخليج الكبرى (دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي واليمن والعراق وإيران)، ولم تنل الأسرة الاعتراف بوصفها الوحدة المجتمعية الأساسية فحسب، بل وكعامل أساسي أيضاً للتنمية الاجتماعية والاقتصادية والثقافية المستدامة. وتتحدّد العلاقات الاجتماعية في هذه البلاد من خلال الأعراف والقيم الثقافية المستمدة من الثقافة، والتي تقوم عليها التفاعلات الاجتماعية مع أفراد الأسرة وغيرهم من أفراد المجتمع. ولعلّ التطور السريع الذي شهدته دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي (الكويت، البحرين، الإمارات العربية المتحدة، قطر، المملكة العربية السعودية، وسلطنة عمان) وما زالت تشهده منذ اكتشاف الموارد البترولية، أحدث تغييرات كبيرة في الهياكل السياسية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية التقليدية التي تقوم عليها هذه المجتمعات الخليجية. فيما تأثرت الأسر الخليجية خارج دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي—أي في اليمن والعراق وإيران—بالصراعات السياسيّة، والحروب، والاحتلالات الأجنبيّة، والحروب الأهلية، والثورات. ولقد تمثّل هدف هذه المبادرة البحثية في اكتساب فهم أكبر للتحديات التي تواجه الأسر الخليجية، ودراسة انعكاس قوى التغيير الهيكلية والفكريّة في الحياة اليومية للعوائل والأسر الخليجية.

Arabic Summary Report 15, 2018

تعرّضت منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا خلال النصف الثاني من القرن العشرين إلى موجة ديموغرافية شه... more تعرّضت منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا خلال النصف الثاني من القرن العشرين إلى موجة ديموغرافية شهدتْ نموّاً غير مسبوق في أعداد سكانها الشباب. وأشعلت هذه الطفرة الشبابية جدالات ونقاشات محلية ودولية، بشأن ما ستفرضه فئة الشباب من تحديات، وما ستوفره من فرص للمنطقة. وقد أوضحت الانتفاضات العربيّة واقع القدرات الكامنة لدى الشباب، سواء كعوامل تغيير إيجابي في المنطقة، أو كعوامل اضطرابات فيها. ومع اندلاع القلاقل، فإنّ ثمّة حاجة لتوسيع إدراكنا الجماعي لطبيعة حياة الشباب، ولدراسة العوامل التي تؤثر على طبيعة انتقالهم إلى مرحلة النضج. وتتمحور السردية المتعلقة بالشباب في الشرق الأوسط عادةً حول مسألتي تهميشهم وإقصائهم اجتماعياً وسياسياً واقتصادياً. والحال، فإن شباب الشرق الأوسط عاشوا عقوداً من الحكم الاستبدادي والاضطراب السياسي، ناضلوا خلالها لتحقيق آمالهم وطموحاتهم الخاصة بالمواطنة، والعيش الكريم، والمشاركة الاجتماعية والسياسية. ونظراً لاستمرار أزمة الوظائف في الشرق الأوسط، حيث يواجه الشباب ارتفاعاً عاماً في معدلات البطالة؛ وحيث فعالية سوق العمل، لا سيما بين الشابات، لا تزال منخفضة على نحو صادم، يبقى من المهمّ فهم إقصاء الشباب اقتصادياً، ومختلف الوسائل التي يمكن من خلالها معالجة ذلك الوضع.

Summary Report 15, 2016

While some of MENA’s recent macro-economic and political developments have created further obstac... more While some of MENA’s recent macro-economic and political developments have created further obstacles for the region’s youth, young peoples’ responses to these constraints have differed remarkably. As such, the process by which we expand our understanding of young people should be informed by a wider perspective: the aspirations of youth and their senses of identity as well as the economic and political contexts that confront them. How individuals manage the challenges they face, and how youth mobilize collectively to deal with those overarching constraints faced in the region, are likely influenced by diverse factors related to their gendered, national, urban, tribal, cultural, and religious differences. To explore the underlying causes and consequences of these complexities, CIRS launched a multi-disciplinary research initiative in collaboration with Silatech, a Doha-based and youth-oriented social initiative organization. As many of the region’s youth are contending with the effects of social and economic exclusion, this research explores the ways in which youth manage and respond to various socioeconomic and political constraints across the region, as well as the potentials of policy to support various aspects of youth’s lives. Additionally, this research initiative examines the ways in which Middle Eastern youth collectively regenerate a new consciousness and forge novel methods of mobilization. The original research papers produced as part of this initiative will be published as a special issue of The Muslim World in 2017.

Media Interviews by Islam Hassan

Sputnik International, Jun 8, 2017

Eurasia Diary, Jun 8, 2017

New York Times, Jun 7, 2017

Book Reviews by Islam Hassan

Journal Special Issue by Islam Hassan

CIRS Special Issue of Hawwa, 2018

Despite growing scholarly focus on the Persian Gulf region in recent years, the institution of th... more Despite growing scholarly focus on the Persian Gulf region in recent years, the institution of the family, one of the central building blocks of the Gulf community, has received limited attention. In the six monarchies of the Gulf, as well as in Yemen and Iraq, the family has historically been recognized as the fundamental unit of society within which social, economic, and cultural development takes place. Studying the family in any context is a complex undertaking, as the family exists not in isolation as a conceptual island unto itself, but rather is deeply embedded in and profoundly affected by changes in its surrounding society and the broader political and economic realities that are continuously evolving around it. In addition, to carefully analyze changes in practices within the family, one must also look to the family-oriented policies that have been implemented by governments to date, and their influences on family identity and behavior.

Book Teasers by Islam Hassan

Book Teaser, 2020

The first of its kind, this volume addresses that major gap by interrogating the conceptual, theo... more The first of its kind, this volume addresses that major gap by interrogating the conceptual, theoretical and empirical underpinnings of the concept of ‘Middle Power’ at a regional level. Composed of nine chapters, Unfulfilled Aspirations offers the conceptual and theoretical tools to examine ‘Middle Powerhood’ in the Middle East, as well as insightful empirical analyses of both ‘traditional’ Middle Powers in the region (Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria) and new, aspiring ones (Qatar, the UAE). The contributors reveal that the Middle Powers of the Middle East have failed, despite their best efforts, to fulfill their regional aspirations.

Papers by Islam Hassan

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016

Unfulfilled Aspirations

Middle powers rise at times of instability in the international or regional orders. Two sets of m... more Middle powers rise at times of instability in the international or regional orders. Two sets of middle powers, namely the traditional and the so-called “emerging” middle powers, came to being during and after the Cold War, respectively. On the one hand, traditional middle powers, such as Australia and Canada, emerged during the Cold War. On the other hand, emerging middle powers ascended after the Cold War, and are not the traditional “good citizens” but controversial reformists with independent foreign policy portfolios, and they are becoming increasingly vocal in world affairs.

CIRS Special Issue of The Muslim World, 2017

This special issue of The Muslim World studies the state of Middle Eastern youth, focusing on the... more This special issue of The Muslim World studies the state of Middle Eastern youth, focusing on the ways in which their experiences continue to shape their worldviews and their priorities. The contribution of this special issue to the burgeoning literature on Middle Eastern youth enhances our understanding of the lives of the young in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and examines Middle Eastern youth’s novel methods of mobilization and its regeneration of a new consciousness. This special issue emerged as one of the research initiatives undertaken by the Center for International and Regional Studies of Georgetown University in Qatar in collaboration with Silatech. A number of specialists and scholars helped identify original research questions concerning the study of Middle Eastern Youth, and shaped the intellectual discussions that went into crafting this special issue.

HAWWA, 2018

The family in Qatar plays a significant role in shaping its members’ lives, passing down the domi... more The family in Qatar plays a significant role in shaping its members’ lives, passing down the dominant culture with its history, traditions, values, customs, and social order to subsequent generations. Through the institution of marriage, individuals have been choosing their partners based on criteria passed down to them by their families. They have also been preserving and reproducing the culture, traditions, values, and customs invested in them by their own families by reinvesting them into their own children. By relying on a mixed method approach, the author investigates the role of the family and marriage institutions in the sustenance and stimulation of the reproduction of social stratification in Qatari society. This article is the first of its kind to address the phenomenon of reproduction of social stratification in an Arab state of the Persian Gulf.

The Jordanian state is believed to be on the brink of failure. Many structural tensions has been ... more The Jordanian state is believed to be on the brink of failure. Many structural tensions has been escalating over the years; thus, weakening the state, making it more vulnerable, and pushing it closer towards the breakout of a crisis. The purpose of this essay is to examine early warning conflict signs present in Jordan. The paper alerts that the escalation of tensions in Jordan leaves it standing on its final threshold before the outbreak of a conflict. This paper aims to encourage policy makers in Jordan to try finding solutions and policies to contain these tensions and prevent the expected eruption of a crisis.

Sites of Pluralism: Community Politics in the Middle East. Ed. First Oruc (New York: Oxford University Press, 2019

This chapter examines the question of how the ruling family proactively continues to consolidate ... more This chapter examines the question of how the ruling family proactively continues to consolidate its own position within Qatari society some 165 years after first coming to power. The state adopts three primary means to reproduce and stimulate the existing inclusion and exclusion schemes in Qatari society. First, it promotes the dominant Arab social values, culture, traditions, and customs that perpetuate a scheme of inclusion and exclusion, and secure the position of the ruling family and Arab tribal social actors at the apex of the social hierarchy of the state. Second, it narrows down the definition of national identity in order to limit vertical social mobility in society only to certain tribal families. In doing so, the state has limited the official narrative of homeland, common myths, and historical memories to being of an Arab tribal origin and practicing the Wahhabi version of Sunni Islam. Third, through articles of the constitution, the legal system and implicit family policies related to marriage and nationality, the state has been influencing individuals, insofar as marriage choices are concerned, as a further means of preventing social mobility to a wider strata of society. In investigating the question at hand, a qualitative methods approach is adopted that analyzes primary and secondary sources such as the constitution of the State of Qatar, Qatar’s Family Law, and government documents. The paper argues that some articles of the constitution and legal code, symbols, and official history of Qatar made this systematic maintenance and stimulation of the Qatari social order possible. This, in turn, has secured the position of the ruling monarchy—and its Arab tribal allies—at the apex of the social pyramid in Qatari society.

Gulf Cooperation Council's Challenges and Prospects, Mar 31, 2015

The crisis symbolised by the withdrawal from Doha of the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, the United ... more The crisis symbolised by the withdrawal from Doha of the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Bahrain in March, 2014, was the first of its kind since the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and therefore set a precedent in terms of dispute resolution between the six member states. The disagreement that sparked the ambassadors’ withdrawal was among the most serious in recent years, and threatened to seriously undermine relations between the GCC states. The crisis certainly affected the GCC negatively at first – raising questions among member states, revealing shifts in their political agendas, and changing the balance of power in the region to some extent.
This chapter discusses causes of the crisis, and a review of its development and eventual resolution with the signing of the Riyadh Supplementary Agreement on 16 November 2014. This chapter suggests that the crisis will continue to affect the GCC in future. While the immediate crisis has passed, the loss of trust between the GCC states is likely to take some time to resolve. Nevertheless, the resolutions that emerged from the 35th GCC summit held in Doha on 9 December 2014 indicate a kind of convergence in understanding among the GCC countries on a number of regional issues. This convergence was arrived at in the context of various regional pressures on the member states and the Gulf region as a whole, stemming particularly from concerns around the emergence of the Islamic State and Iran’s nuclear programme. Finally, the chapter argues that resolution of the crisis is indicative of the maturity of the GCC states, and reflects their ability to focus on prioritising their own local interests. In the longer term, it seems likely that this maturity will enhance integration and strengthen the GCC.

الخلافات الخليجية الخليجية: الأسباب، القضايا وآليات الحل, Jan 15, 2015

مثَّلت أزمة سحب كل من المملكة العربية السعودية ودولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة ومملكة البحرين لسفر... more مثَّلت أزمة سحب كل من المملكة العربية السعودية ودولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة ومملكة البحرين لسفرائها من الدوحة، وهو الحدث الأول من نوعه على مرِّ تاريخ مجلس التعاون الخليجي منذ نشأته، علامة فارقة في طبيعة الخلافات بين دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي الست.

ويعدُّ هذا الخلاف من أهمِّ الخلافات التي عصفت بالمنطقة في السنوات الأخيرة، وكاد يُهدِّد العمل الخليجي المشترك، ويُؤثِّر سلبيًّا على منظومة دول مجلس التعاون؛ بما أثاره من تساؤلات طرحها في أروقة البيت الخليجي، وتحولات في الأجندة السياسية، وتغيُّرات في موازين القوى في المنطقة.

تناقش هذه الورقة أسباب هذه الأزمة الخليجية التي نشبت في مارس/آذار 2014، وتستعرض قضاياها، وتطوراتها، وصولاً إلى تجاوزها بعودة السفراء إلى الدوحة، بعد أن وقَّعت دولة قطر اتفاق الرياض التكميلي في 16 نوفمبر/تشرين الثاني 2014.

ويصل الباحث إلى نتيجة مفادها أن الآثار المستقبلية لهذه الأزمة على مسيرة التعاون الخليجي تظل باقية، منوهًا إلى أنه ربما تكون أزمة سحب السفراء قد انتهت، ولكن ستبقى هناك أزمة ثقة بين دول مجلس التعاون.

وتنوه الورقة أيضًا إلى أنه رغم ذلك، فإنَّ قرارات القمَّة الخليجية المختصرة التي عُقدت في الدوحة في 9 ديسمبر/ كانون الأول 2014 تشير إلى حدوث بعض التقارب والتفاهم في عدد من الملفات الإقليمية بين دول المجلس، تحت ضغوطات المرحلة، وخاصة التحديات الراهنة المتمثِّلة في المخاوف الأمنية من الإرهاب والنووي الإيراني.

وتبين أنه يجب أن يُؤخذ بعين الاعتبار النضج الواضح للسياسة الخليجية في الآونة الأخيرة، والذي يتجلَّى في مواقفها الخارجية، ومساعيها وراء مصالحها المحلية، مؤكدة أن هذا النضج سيعزِّز عاجلاً أو آجلاً مفهوم الاندماج، ويُوحِّد من المصالح والمواقف الخليجية الخارجية.

Arabic Summary Report, 2020

درسنا في مشروعنا هذا، وبشكل موسّع، التطور التاريخي للتنوع والفسيفساء التعددية في الشرق الأوسط، وم... more درسنا في مشروعنا هذا، وبشكل موسّع، التطور التاريخي للتنوع والفسيفساء التعددية في الشرق الأوسط، ومدى تأثير هذا التطوّر على الديناميات السياسية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية الحالية في المنطقة. وتناولنا العديد من الموضوعات الأخرى، فدرسنا الفهم الاجتماعي-السياسي للتعددية في الشرق الأوسط، وكيف أن الأفكار والسرديات الخاصة بمصطلح "الأقلية" هي بحد ذاتها إشكاليّة من الناحية المفاهيمية، وكثيراً ما يتم الطعن فيها في الواقع. وأعدنا دراسة دور الدولة من حيث تعزيز (أو تحدّي) التنوع الوطني، من خلال فرض سردية وطنيّة للتجانس، وكذلك من خلال تطوير هياكل مؤسسية للدولة تحكم الاقتصاد، والمجال السياسي، والتعليم، وغيرها من القطاعات الاجتماعية. كما سعينا لدراسة الخيارات السياسية والثقافية والقانونية والتعليمية التي طبقتها الدول لحماية (أو عدم حماية) الفسيفساء الوطنية لمواطنيها. يهدف المشروع إلى زيادة التركيز على كيفية انعكاس التعددية والتنوع في المجالات "الناعمة"، مثل الهندسة المعمارية والمسطّحات الحضرية، في اللغويات والأدب والساحات الاجتماعية والثقافية.

Arabic Summary Report 26, 2020

مثّلت القبيلة تقليدياً أقدم مؤسسة اجتماعية في منطقة الخليج الكبرى (دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي واليم... more مثّلت القبيلة تقليدياً أقدم مؤسسة اجتماعية في منطقة الخليج الكبرى (دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي واليمن والعراق وإيران)، ولم تنل الأسرة الاعتراف بوصفها الوحدة المجتمعية الأساسية فحسب، بل وكعامل أساسي أيضاً للتنمية الاجتماعية والاقتصادية والثقافية المستدامة. وتتحدّد العلاقات الاجتماعية في هذه البلاد من خلال الأعراف والقيم الثقافية المستمدة من الثقافة، والتي تقوم عليها التفاعلات الاجتماعية مع أفراد الأسرة وغيرهم من أفراد المجتمع. ولعلّ التطور السريع الذي شهدته دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي (الكويت، البحرين، الإمارات العربية المتحدة، قطر، المملكة العربية السعودية، وسلطنة عمان) وما زالت تشهده منذ اكتشاف الموارد البترولية، أحدث تغييرات كبيرة في الهياكل السياسية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية التقليدية التي تقوم عليها هذه المجتمعات الخليجية. فيما تأثرت الأسر الخليجية خارج دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي—أي في اليمن والعراق وإيران—بالصراعات السياسيّة، والحروب، والاحتلالات الأجنبيّة، والحروب الأهلية، والثورات. ولقد تمثّل هدف هذه المبادرة البحثية في اكتساب فهم أكبر للتحديات التي تواجه الأسر الخليجية، ودراسة انعكاس قوى التغيير الهيكلية والفكريّة في الحياة اليومية للعوائل والأسر الخليجية.

Arabic Summary Report 15, 2018

تعرّضت منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا خلال النصف الثاني من القرن العشرين إلى موجة ديموغرافية شه... more تعرّضت منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا خلال النصف الثاني من القرن العشرين إلى موجة ديموغرافية شهدتْ نموّاً غير مسبوق في أعداد سكانها الشباب. وأشعلت هذه الطفرة الشبابية جدالات ونقاشات محلية ودولية، بشأن ما ستفرضه فئة الشباب من تحديات، وما ستوفره من فرص للمنطقة. وقد أوضحت الانتفاضات العربيّة واقع القدرات الكامنة لدى الشباب، سواء كعوامل تغيير إيجابي في المنطقة، أو كعوامل اضطرابات فيها. ومع اندلاع القلاقل، فإنّ ثمّة حاجة لتوسيع إدراكنا الجماعي لطبيعة حياة الشباب، ولدراسة العوامل التي تؤثر على طبيعة انتقالهم إلى مرحلة النضج. وتتمحور السردية المتعلقة بالشباب في الشرق الأوسط عادةً حول مسألتي تهميشهم وإقصائهم اجتماعياً وسياسياً واقتصادياً. والحال، فإن شباب الشرق الأوسط عاشوا عقوداً من الحكم الاستبدادي والاضطراب السياسي، ناضلوا خلالها لتحقيق آمالهم وطموحاتهم الخاصة بالمواطنة، والعيش الكريم، والمشاركة الاجتماعية والسياسية. ونظراً لاستمرار أزمة الوظائف في الشرق الأوسط، حيث يواجه الشباب ارتفاعاً عاماً في معدلات البطالة؛ وحيث فعالية سوق العمل، لا سيما بين الشابات، لا تزال منخفضة على نحو صادم، يبقى من المهمّ فهم إقصاء الشباب اقتصادياً، ومختلف الوسائل التي يمكن من خلالها معالجة ذلك الوضع.

Summary Report 15, 2016

While some of MENA’s recent macro-economic and political developments have created further obstac... more While some of MENA’s recent macro-economic and political developments have created further obstacles for the region’s youth, young peoples’ responses to these constraints have differed remarkably. As such, the process by which we expand our understanding of young people should be informed by a wider perspective: the aspirations of youth and their senses of identity as well as the economic and political contexts that confront them. How individuals manage the challenges they face, and how youth mobilize collectively to deal with those overarching constraints faced in the region, are likely influenced by diverse factors related to their gendered, national, urban, tribal, cultural, and religious differences. To explore the underlying causes and consequences of these complexities, CIRS launched a multi-disciplinary research initiative in collaboration with Silatech, a Doha-based and youth-oriented social initiative organization. As many of the region’s youth are contending with the effects of social and economic exclusion, this research explores the ways in which youth manage and respond to various socioeconomic and political constraints across the region, as well as the potentials of policy to support various aspects of youth’s lives. Additionally, this research initiative examines the ways in which Middle Eastern youth collectively regenerate a new consciousness and forge novel methods of mobilization. The original research papers produced as part of this initiative will be published as a special issue of The Muslim World in 2017.

CIRS Special Issue of Hawwa, 2018

Despite growing scholarly focus on the Persian Gulf region in recent years, the institution of th... more Despite growing scholarly focus on the Persian Gulf region in recent years, the institution of the family, one of the central building blocks of the Gulf community, has received limited attention. In the six monarchies of the Gulf, as well as in Yemen and Iraq, the family has historically been recognized as the fundamental unit of society within which social, economic, and cultural development takes place. Studying the family in any context is a complex undertaking, as the family exists not in isolation as a conceptual island unto itself, but rather is deeply embedded in and profoundly affected by changes in its surrounding society and the broader political and economic realities that are continuously evolving around it. In addition, to carefully analyze changes in practices within the family, one must also look to the family-oriented policies that have been implemented by governments to date, and their influences on family identity and behavior.

Book Teaser, 2020

The first of its kind, this volume addresses that major gap by interrogating the conceptual, theo... more The first of its kind, this volume addresses that major gap by interrogating the conceptual, theoretical and empirical underpinnings of the concept of ‘Middle Power’ at a regional level. Composed of nine chapters, Unfulfilled Aspirations offers the conceptual and theoretical tools to examine ‘Middle Powerhood’ in the Middle East, as well as insightful empirical analyses of both ‘traditional’ Middle Powers in the region (Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria) and new, aspiring ones (Qatar, the UAE). The contributors reveal that the Middle Powers of the Middle East have failed, despite their best efforts, to fulfill their regional aspirations.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016

Unfulfilled Aspirations

Middle powers rise at times of instability in the international or regional orders. Two sets of m... more Middle powers rise at times of instability in the international or regional orders. Two sets of middle powers, namely the traditional and the so-called “emerging” middle powers, came to being during and after the Cold War, respectively. On the one hand, traditional middle powers, such as Australia and Canada, emerged during the Cold War. On the other hand, emerging middle powers ascended after the Cold War, and are not the traditional “good citizens” but controversial reformists with independent foreign policy portfolios, and they are becoming increasingly vocal in world affairs.

International Journal of Culture and History (EJournal), 2016

Political Economy - Development: Environment eJournal, 2018

This book investigates how ecology and politics meet in the Middle East and how those interaction... more This book investigates how ecology and politics meet in the Middle East and how those interactions connect to the global political economy. Through region-wide analyses and case studies from the Arabian Peninsula, the Gulf of Aden, the Levant and North Africa, the volume highlights the intimate connections of environmental activism, energy infrastructure and illicit commodity trading with the political economies of Central Asia, the Horn of Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The book's nine chapters analyze how the exploitation and representation of the environment have shaped the history of the region--and determined its place in global politics. It argues that how the ecological is understood, instrumentalized and intervened upon is the product of political struggle: deconstructing ideas and practices of environmental change means unravelling claims of authority and legitimacy. This is particularly important in a region frequently seen through the prism of environmental deter...

Summary Report 24, 2018

This report provides a summary of the "Environmental Politics in the Middle East" resea... more This report provides a summary of the "Environmental Politics in the Middle East" research initiative, which explores the geopolitics of natural resources in the Middle East in an attempt to expand the focus to include the region’s many natural resources other than natural gas, such as land, air, water, and food. Some of the issues under investigation include a focus on water scarcity, which is a global issue but one that is particularly acute in the Middle East; its impacts are examined through a case study on Yemen. Food security is studied in the case of Syria, which before the civil war began, in 2011, was one of the region’s notable food exporters. Aside from acute food shortages within Syria, the conflict has had ripple effects on the region and has led to rising food prices in neighboring states, such as Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq.