SOME OBSERVATIONS ON SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN PAKISTAN

Wolfgang - Peter Zingel  

PREAMBLE
While developing this paper my primary concern is what has been researched on and how research is being pursued in the field of South Asian studies in general and of Pakistan studies in particular, inside and  outside the country, rather than to focus only on what is new and trendy. As a member of an institute, i.e. the South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University, Germany, that was set up half a century ago to study South Asia in an interdisciplinary way, I feel tempted to do that. I am aware of the fact, that as an economist and outsider my assessment may be rightfully considered to be biased. The fields of academic interest to some extent depend on the economic and political environment of the social scientist. Career prospects determine the choice of the subject as well as the methods. The availability of generous research funds for some topics and hardly any money for others play an eminent role in a country where the teaching load can be heavy and where private means are lacking. Interdisciplinary research needs a deeper understanding of concepts, approaches, and terminology of other disciplines and the insight that there are no lead and supportive disciplines, and that we all need to learn from each other. Research must not be hierarchical: Too much insight is lost, if field work, analysis and reporting is done by different people. Quantitative and qualitative research has to go hand in hand, and last not least, social science research needs international comparison. There are economies and societies to be studied inside and outside of the region. Finally, it should be profitable to do more research on research itself: Not only who is doing what and how much has been published and where, but also how research results find entry into policy making and teaching.