Collaborative Research: Changing Worldviews of Islamic Publics

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This project examines the religious, political, economic, and social values of representative national samples of the adult populations of Egypt, Iran, and Jordan. Surveys will be conducted to gather data to analyze (1) the belief systems of contemporary Islamic publics in a global comparative context; (2) to better understand the processes of value formation and value change in these complex societies; (3) to assess rigorously and in conjunction with the existing comparative historical research the connection between secularization, on the one hand, and rational-legal authority, bureaucratization and liberal democracy, on the other; (4) to explore the social bases of fundamentalism, the relationship between religion and gender, and between religion and nationalism; and (5) to examine the extent of Islamic pluralism and its connection with competitive market forces. This project will provide a unique empirical database for the analysis of social change and of change in Islamic societies. The research also has the potential to have far reaching impact on social scientific research in the region. It will establish a network of social scientists and provide them with a data set to facilitate meaningful comparisons between their societies, and aid in the development of theories and methodological skills. The project also creates the potential for further collaborative research, exchange of knowledge, and the requisite organizational expertise on how to establish social support for research, fund raising, and the establishment of foundations in these societies.