GRM 2010 Report - Centre of Islamic Studies - University of ...

48
The 2010 Gulf Research Meeting
Workshop 2: Formal and Informal Mechanisms of Political Participation
Prof. Anoush Ehteshami
Durham University
From a very healthy number of applications, a total of 10 papers were selected from the list,
attempting to ensure that the conceptual and geographic spread of material relating to the
subject of political participation in the Gulf States was covered. We drew our analytical case
studies from a wide mix of papers, and from a very diverse range of disciplinary expertise. The
result was a most delightful mix of papers, masterfully presented by our speakers, and leading
to non-stop debate and discussions during sessions as well as over lunches and dinners. A rich
tapestry of insights was woven into the formal and informal mechanisms of political participation
in the Gulf workshop. In our extensive deliberations, we explored in depth such issues as political
culture, identity, regime type, institutions, role of political ideology, legal frameworks, gender
mainstreaming, elite creativity, role of external forces and factors, place of authoritarian learning
when it comes to limiting political participation and the consequences of absence of political
parties. The quality of the papers, helped by the quality of our interactions, conspired to provide
the group with the necessary analytical building blocks for comparative and historical research in
this field of inquiry. We were all that bit wiser by the end of the workshop. The friendships stuck
will be long lasting, of that I am assured, and it is hoped that we will be able to bring together as
many of these papers as possible in an effort to ensure that the world at large can also benefit
from the extraordinary research undertaken by the international scholars presenting their work
and ideas at this workshop. I was immensely privileged to have been present throughout, and to
act as orchestra leader for this group. The richness of political science scholarship on the Gulf on
display has filled me with hope that the future of such scholarship is indeed bright and it will be
of great satisfaction to follow the promising careers of this group of scholars as they negotiate
their place amongst the international scholarly community.