The Gulf Family: A research initiative through the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar

The Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar announces a major research initiative on the topic of The Gulf Family.

In the Gulf region (the GCC states, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran) the tribe has traditionally served as the oldest social institution, and the family is recognized not only as the fundamental group unit of society, but also as the fundamental agent for sustainable social, economic, and cultural development. Rapid development in the GCC states since the discovery of petroleum resources has brought significant changes to the traditional political, economic, and social structures underpinning these Gulf societies. Outside of the GCC, families in Yemen, Iraq, and Iran have been impacted by political conflict, war, foreign occupation, civil war, and revolution. In the wider Gulf region it has been argued that a shift in family demographics, whether due to globalization or political and socioeconomic difficulties, has led to a contraction or decline in traditional family roles, functions, authority, and structure. In the face of this perceived threat to traditional values, governments in the Gulf are searching for strategies to address the challenges facing the family in the context of the global forces at play in the Gulf region.

Proposal submissions are due September 15, 2014. For inquiries and grant application submissions, please contact cirsgrants@georgetown.edu.