In the Middle East, autocratic governments, sectarian conflicts and foreign occupation have put many people in a state of despair and destitution. The nature of social networks is one of the most important determinants of how the region is grappling with these challenges.

This project drew on social network analysis to empirically identify patterns of cooperation and conflict in the Middle East. The team built a research group at Duke that investigated how social networks affect behavior in the context of Middle East.

Team members gathered quantitative and qualitative data on 46 Muslim community grassroots organizations installed in the Research Triangle area between 1960 and 2018.

Students on the team also participated in a seminar course in Fall 2017 that included guest lectures from experts across disciplines. The team also convened a public lecture series of Duke scholars and representatives of nongovernmental organizations with fieldwork experience, to promote exchange between Duke researchers working on networks (related to health, education, poverty, economic opportunity) and people actively engaged in community networks (e.g., Muslim Inclusion Committee (Chapel Hill, NC), Muslim Public Affairs Council (Los Angeles, CA) and Search for Common Grounds (Washington, DC & Brussels, Belgium).

The team also hosted an outreach event with 40 Muslim community leaders at the Assalam Islamic Center in Raleigh in May 2018.

Timing

Summer 2017 – Spring 2018

Team Outcomes

Social Network Analysis of Muslim-led Networks in the Triangle (poster by Lela Ali), presented at Bass Connections Showcase, April 18, 2018

Social Networks and Child Soldier Recruitment (poster by Neelesh Moorthy), presented at Bass Connections Showcase, April 18, 2018

Network Analysis and Social Policy: A Public Lecture Series

• Scientific Networks: How Networks Social Processes Shape Science Policy (James Moody), November 7, 2017
• Networks and Labor Market Gender Gaps (Maria Zhu), November 14, 2017
• Stateless Commerce and Relational Exchange (Barak Richman), November 28, 2017
• The Emergence of Terrorism: A New Paradigm (Marc Sageman), January 22, 2018

This Team in the News

Why People Join Terrorist Groups