Reconceptualizing Arab Media Research: Moving From Centrism Toward Inclusiveness and Balance

Abstract

This essay provides a brief overview of the dominant trends in Arab media research, paying particular attention to the most common methodologies they rely on. To understand the current state of Arab media scholarship, the article explores the various influences that have played a decisive role in determining the quality and quantity of research productivity. Factors such as the Arab countries’ historical roots, traditional societies, patterns in education, and current conflicts in the region are shown to have an impact on Arab scholars’ engagement with research. To aid the advancement of theory of Arab media research, this essay advocates for conducting collaborative research and proposes a hybrid approach that merges epistemologies in a culture-sensitive, empirical manner that is capable of making universal generalizations while staying true to the specificities of the region itself.

Arab Media Researchers’ Perceptions of Factors Affecting Their Research Problem Selection

“…The first is linked to the American model and the other to the European-Francophone model. Some Arab scholars have historically ignored empirical research, preferring to rely on critical and interpretive approaches that place culture at the center of the investigation, rejecting Western concepts and methodologies (Kozman, 2020). Although quantitative approaches have been extensively utilized in Arab media studies, interest in qualitative methods has grown as well (Khasawnah, 2016;Sayed, 2019).…”

“…In addition, some junior Arab researchers are sensitive to the issues that Western scholars consider important to investigate. Newcomers to the discipline are required to continue traditions that are dominated by research themes that are investigated by senior researchers and media research heavyweights (Kozman, 2020).…”

“…Language also poses a problem in terms of journal rankings. Many researchers would choose to write and publish research in English in a highly ranked journal over writing and publishing in Arabic in an unranked journal to satisfy the policies of their institutions, which have come to rely on journal metrics and indexing bodies to gauge the quality of faculty's research (Kozman, 2020).…”

“…Several studies in various scientific fields have addressed the first theme, the phenomenon of selecting research problems (Bahçekapili et al, 2013; Ellis & Levy, 2008; Jeszka, 2013; Lund, 2021; Saleh, 2020; Sarathchandra, 2013; Yalçın et al, 2016). Some of these studies examined factors that may influence study problem selection, but this was not their primary objective (Bairagi & Munot, 2019; Ellis & Levy, 2008; Jha, 2014; Isaac et al, 1989; Kozman, 2020; Sarathchandra, 2013; Wesely, 2012).…”

“…From a macro-contextual perspective, Kozman (2020) argued that factors such as the historical foundations of Arab countries, traditional communities, educational systems, and conflicts in the region have an impact on Arab media researchers’ engagement with research. Kozman (2020) proposed a culture-sensitive approach to Arab media research that springs from or adapts to local realities while safeguarding the scope of the results and the generalizability.…”