Abstract
According to Jean Francois Lyotard, there are two types of legitimizing knowledge in developed countries: narrative and scientific. Thus, the main question of this research is: Within the field of Human Sciences, how can we describe the legitimacy of knowledge in the Arab world?. In other words, what are the conditions for producing knowledge in the fields of the Human Sciences within Arab cultures compared to Western criteria? This question is mostly related to the legitimacy problem in Arab academia, as universities are the main institutions that produce knowledge. What norms, especially embedded ones, regulate the accepted and the unaccepted research work? Moreover, what changes could affect these norms? What expected development might take place in the field of knowledge production in the human sciences, especially after the cultural/political events of the last decade in the Middle East? Since the academic institution was considered the main producer of knowledge, this research explores, as a point of departure, the beginning and organizing principles of the university in the Arab world.
Presenters
Ayman BakrAssistant Professor of Arabic Literature and Criticism, Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Culture, Knowledge, Legitimacy, Academia, University, Narratives
