English abstract
As research in Humanities and its role in education frames itself in data deduced
from existing theories sourced from largely western contexts, its inadequacies
and limitations are increasingly noticeable. Tracing the history and application
of Indigenous Knowledge, this study calls for implementation of grounded
theory of research, particularly within the Arabian Gulf, where the Humanities,
while being challenged for their relevance to the emerging knowledge
economies, assume a western worldview with resultant solutions and
approaches disassociated from grassroot realities and local socio-cultural
contexts. Based on continuing studies on decolonizing research methodologies,
this paper will suggest ways in which work in the Humanities could be
reformulated to sensitize and give voice, as well as agency, to local conditions
and the local community whose future is at stake. Constructivist grounded
theory allows for hypotheses and research questions to evolve through
interactions with the community rather than applying a pre-existing theory, thus
allowing for a range of voices and perspectives hitherto unrepresented in social
research. Focus could thus be on participatory methods which involve local
communities as spaces for research but also engage and empower researchers
from within the target communities to affect meaningful and culture sensitive
data using relevant linguistic, social and economic knowledge systems.
