Mark Kennedy

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Department

Cairo Papers in Social Science

Program

Cairo Papers in Social Science

Abstract

This work on urban research strategies in Egypt is the product of several factors. First of all is the challenge, excitement, diversity and stimulation of living in Egyptian cities, Cairo above all. Not only are Egyptian cities rooted in deep antiquity, but they have the richly stratified layers of a host of great civilizations. Modern urban Egypt is immeasurably complex in its own right, but its quite astounding past only adds to its wonderment. Thus, the chief inspiration for this publication is the wealthy cultural and historical context in which these scholars were assembled and where they sought to interpret a range of adjustments and reacdons to modern urban life. The second factor is found in the intellectual fecundity and the traditions of the Social Research Center (SRC) at the American University in Cairo which has, for three decades, been at the epicenter of social investigation and evaluation in Egyptian society. Its contribution is truly without adequate definition in terms of published works, academic interaction, research and development. The SRC represents the intellectual birthplace of a host of Egyptian, American and other foreign scholars who have come to study Egypt. The creation of the Urban Development Unit in 1982 as a section of the SRC has underscored the pioneering on another area of specialized research in Egypt. The workshop held on 6-7 June 1982 on "Strategies for Urban Research in the 1980s' was sponsored by this new unit of the SRC. The third factor which made the workshop possible was represented in the unpaid, voluntary contributions of time and effort of the assembled participants and contributors and especially of the Workshop Preparatory Committee, composed mainly but not exclusively of the following: Mark Kennedy, Ibrahim Omar, Madiha Al-Safty, Marina Ottaway, Barbara Ibrahim, Nick Hopkins, Saneya Saleh, Assad Nadim, Soha Abdel Kader, Tim Sullivan and myself. Finally, the pleasant atmosphere, ample luncheons and refreshments, secretarial support and other details. of the workshop's inf ras true ture were sustained through the generosity of the Cairo office of the Ford Foundation and its Director, John Gerhart. Here, appreciation for all of the above is very gratefully recorded. Some of the participants were invited only to enjoy the academic interaction and to enrich the base of discussion with comments from their own pertinent experiences. Others were invited to prepare papers for the workshop. As far as possible, the papers were reproduced and circulated before and during the workshop to make a qualitative contribution to the depth and intensity of the discussion which followed each group of papers. For various reasons, all of the papers originally presented are not published here but certain among them were selected and edited for this special publication. Also, while the discussions followed each unit of grouped papers, the versions presented here are really a distillation of this stimulating dialogue. Special mention needs to be made to the Editorial Board of CAIRO PAPERS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE at the American University in Cairo which has been willing to publish these papers as Volume 6, Number 2 of this journal. Since the decision was made, I have been asked to join the Editorial Board and have benefitted from the collegial criticisms and general support of the Board. In this context, particular note is due for the contribution of Mahmoud Abdel-Fadil. His workshop paper was actually a condensed version of a larger work on the same topic which Md already been submitted to CAIRO PAPERS for publication. Since the study of the urban informal sector was so strongly featured in the workshop discussions, the Editorial Board concluded and Dr. Abdel-Fadil agreed that hie paper would be best published in its entirety in this publication. I believe that we all benefit from his flexibility and understanding. The other papers represent on-going research and/or were specially prepared for the workshop. Finally, acknowledgement of the critical secretarial support for this publication is very gratefully offered to Hekmat. Wasef, Yvonne Shunbo, Mona Tawfik, Brenda Carpenter and Joan Bickelhaupt who helped with some of the transcriptions of the taped discussion.

Publication Date

1983

Document Type

Book Chapter

Book Title

Urban Research Strategies for Egypt

Editors

Richard Lobban

ISBN

NA

Publisher

American University in Cairo Press

City

Cairo

First Page

40

Last Page

42

Series

Cairo Papers in Social Science 6(2)

Keywords

Urban Research, Urban Conversation, Realities, Social Research

Disciplines

Criminology and Criminal Justice | Near and Middle Eastern Studies | Other Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social Justice | Urban Studies and Planning

Egyptian Youth and Justice Systems: A Rural-Urban Comparison

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