Area Studies Controversy ID01302 Kih, Hee-Seong

Questions Who are Social Scientists? And who are Area Specialists?

Sketching the Intellectual Divide Social scientists research is too faddish and oversimplified? Area studies is incompatible with a concern for social science theory? Area studies research lacks conceptual sophistication and methodological rigor? Social knowledge is itself area-bound? Social scientists construct highly abstract models that provide little real insight into the complex behavior patterns? Area studies research is overly preoccupied with detail and specificity? Disagreement about social science epistemology Area specialists are purveyors of regional data useful for more general theoretical analysis Are specialists have a much better record of producing theory than their self-proclaimed theoretical rivals

Factors that Sharpened the Intellectual Divide

Connection between the funding of area studies programs and the strategic priorities of the U.S. government cannot be denied. - Particular orientations of area studies were directly influenced by the Cold War priorities of the United States government. - Initial push to expand area studies training in postwar era focused primarily on Russia and East Asia - National Defense Education Act of 1958 was launched as a direct response to the Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite the year before. - Many area specialists lent their expertise to various U.S. government security agencies throughout the Cold War period. Roots of Criticisms against Area Studies

Divide between discipline generalists and area specialists overlaps substantially with an ideological divide between critics and defenders of U.S. foreign policy? Social scientists explicitly oriented toward general social science theory have been just as likely to be engaged in the formulation of U.S. foreign policy as have prominent area specialists. There is no discernable ideological pattern linking an area studies orientation to support of U.S. policy. Roots of Criticisms against Area Studies

New Global Realities End of American- Soviet rivalry Revolution in communications and information technology Political and economic Liberalization  A process of global integration and linguistic and cultural consolidation is taking place.  Continuing expansion of dominant languages and cultures will further reduce the great diversity that has marked Third World societies in the past.  However different might be their cultures and histories, events and developments in countries around the world are increasingly subject to the same global influences. Area studies failed to take into account new social, technological, and cultural trends in an era of increasing “globalization.” Globalization has made area studies increasingly irrelevant?

Reaction to Globalization

Area Specialists’ Response against Criticisms Research agenda has a strong theoretical focus. Substantive knowledge associated with area studies not only contribute to development of social science theory, it is in fact essential! Rational choice theory contains a unique capacity to transcend culture and reduce all human behavior to a few individual motivational uniformities It can be applied to particular cases only if information about the meaning attached to alternative courses of action is available.

Criticisms about Typical Definitions of “Areas”

Methodological Criticisms against Area Studies

Implications of Controversy: Deeper Fusion The historical confrontation became gradually resolved, with area specialists becoming more skilled in social science methods and discipline specialists becoming more experienced in foreign research. The strongest theoretical critique of area studies research can be countered by noting recent theoretical breakthroughs that reemphasize the importance of history, geography, and culture.

Conclusion Open-minded and mutually respectful dialogue between these two perspectives might greatly advance our collective understanding of the human condition. Reason that the debate between area specialists and their critics has continued for many decades is lack of intellectual respect shown by partisans on both sides, which tends to perpetuate longstanding stereotypes of the “enemy.”

List of Articles Covered 1.Bates, Robert H. Area Studies and the Discipline: A Useful Controversy? 2.Tessler, Mark et al. Introduction: The Area Studies Controversy 3.Pye, Lucian. The Confrontation between Discipline and Area Studies List of Articles Covered 1.Bates, Robert H. Area Studies and the Discipline: A Useful Controversy? 2.Tessler, Mark et al. Introduction: The Area Studies Controversy 3.Pye, Lucian. The Confrontation between Discipline and Area Studies