Arab Educational Information Network

This paper presents a summary of the status of the social sciences in the Arab countries and related research activity over the recent past. This paper finds that the social sciences in the Arab countries are experiencing crises on many levels, rendering their contributions of limited impact in attaining a variety of overall development objectives and in resolving major dilemma that face Arab societies. The paper addresses models that might be adopted in order to place social research in the Arab countries at par with global trends, enabling valid contributions to analyze the positive and negative phenomena currently taking place in the region, with view to facilitating moves towards sustainable development efforts. Challenges and opportunities posed by the digital revolution are highlighted and the need to establish Arab schools in the social sciences and anthropology is emphasized. Additionally the need to allocate much greater resources than has previously been the case to the humanities, literature and the arts with view to developing a collective conscience and achieving more effective intra- and inter-community relations. (Author's abstract)