Small Grant for Exploratory Research: Islam and the West: Clash of Civilizations or Traumas of Modernization?

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

This project is for emergency funding to carry out additional interviews in the World Values Surveys (WVS) being carried out in Pakistan and Bangladesh. These interviews use the version of the WVS interview schedule designed for Islamic societies, and adds supplementary questions to measure approval or disapproval of the recent terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. The investigation also assesses whether such attacks are seen as compatible with Islamic teachings. The researchers also probe into support for democratic institutions and openness to ties with the West. The existing WVS questionnaire explores the basic values and worldviews of each society without touching on current political issues. Adding a battery of questions measuring attitudes toward terrorism and relations with the West makes it possible to analyze the extent to which these orientations are linked with enduring core elements of Islamic belief systems, and the extent to which they may be changing. The pilot surveys conducted in Iran, Egypt and Jordan found surprisingly widespread support for democracy and indications of an intergenerational change in the direction of growing support for social and political liberalization. This Small Grant for Exploratory Research investigation is extremely timely and will enhance substantially our understanding of this very important topic.