THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF WASTA IBD

Sinopse

The term âÇÖwastaástems from the Arabic root for âÇÖmiddleâÇÖ or âÇÖmediumâÇÖáand describes the phenomenon of using âÇÖconnectionsâÇÖ to find job, government services or other favors to circumvent bureaucracy or bypass the system as a whole. The effects of âÇÖwastaâÇÖámay be both positive or negative,ááand is not a phenomenon that is particularááto the Arab or Muslim world,áábutááalso to many other cultures and regions of the world, with similar concepts popularly known asáubuntu, guanxi, harambee, naoberschop,áorá'old boy network'ááused in African, Chinese and Europeaná societies.áBy its very nature âÇÖwastaâÇÖáis an area of grey or even black information, and,áálike corruption to which it is most often associated, is hard to assess although country corruption perception indexes attempt to provide a quantifiable basis. In the final analysis such ratings are based onáperceptionsáof corruption, and this perception may vary strongly depending on different societal structures and cultural modes, whether these are extended family systems, tribal, clans or more atomized societies where relationships are essentially transactional and rule based. In a western perspective where âÇÖwastaâÇÖ may be considered as a form of corruption,ááin other societies it may be perceived as something âÇÖnaturalâÇÖ and not criminal, andááusing oneâÇÖs âÇÖwastaâÇÖáin tribaláásocietiesááto helpááclan membersááis seen as a duty. The difference stems from the âÇÖinnocent âÇÖ use ofáâÇÖwastaâÇÖáto make introductions, as opposed to its abuse in placingá unqualified persons in positions .The volume brings together academics and professional experts to examine a range of multi-faceted social, economic and political issues raised by the use and abuse of social networking, covering various topics like:âÇÖwastaâÇÖáinterpersonal connections in family and business ties,The relationship between inequality-adjusted human development and corruption perception indexes in the Gulf region,âÇÖwastaâÇÖáand business networking, áassessing the economic cost of âÇÖwastaâÇÖ,âÇÖwastaâÇÖ and its impact on quality oriented education reform and theá perceptions of young people,The use of âÇÖwastaâÇÖ to overcome socio-cultural barriers for women and menáThe volume also offers insights into social relations and ethics, and how the use of âÇÖwastaâÇÖácontradicts with common held religious principles, along with some country studies on Islamic principles and the use ofáâÇÖwastaâÇÖ.Mohamed Ramady is a Visiting Associate Professor, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia.