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The second and final instalment of JSSIR- Volume 1 is ready for all those who are passionately concerned about Social Sciences. Recently at a conference, I was asked to justify the rationale for the broad focus of this journal-JSSIR. In my defence, I delineated the disharmony in our contemporary society; lack of collaboration, dialogue, and interaction among people; marginalization of significant social science subjects; and scientific and professional work lacking a humanistic perspective and a concern for possible implications of this technical work on societies. These contemporary happenings make a strong case for such an initiative-JSSIR. I further elaborated by pointing out the fact that in our local education context there is a much too early compartmentalization of the academic disciplines, precisely the moment as one crosses the middle school. This phenomenon is much more than a mere classification of students into academic programmes. It acts as a barricade and carries a labelling that has serious social, economic and political implications; it leads to a contracted understanding of life, since one cannot decipher methods and impact of other disciplines and even those that are at the fringes of one’s own subject. Besides, it brings disciplines and their disciples in unnecessary antagonism, when collaborative outlook can bring tremendous benefit and harmony to our immediate and larger environment. JSSIR, thus, tries to create the bridge crossing which people can learn about things happening around them in other disciplines. This basic awareness is a prerequisite for any endeavour towards interdisciplinary research or dialogue. I hope then, and continue to do so even now, that we, as academics at least, are willing to break free from the confines of our subjects to broaden our perceptions in order to understand the bigger picture.
This issue, besides the Articles and Book Reviews, introduces a new feature, Forum. The idea behind this initiative is to invite people, who are not involved with formal research in the strictest sense of the activity undertaken within academic and professional contexts, nevertheless, they have experienced social sciences disciplines much more holistically and with an intensity not possible to an individual completing an investigation even if it is authorized or satisfying some statutory requirement. This section invites write-ups based on prolonged professional association and/ or interaction with a domain of our immediate or larger environment ; consequently proffering experiences which deepened the concerned individual’s insight, and provided him/her a unique perspective which is invaluable and must be shared for the benefit of all others around us may be to have the confidence that you made an attempt at undoing what Isaac Asimov( American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University) felt: “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” Also, the insights and experiences shared in this section will prompt researchers to align their studies around more pressing issues; and this remains a major criticism on the kind of academic research taking place within social sciences. The Forum article, included in this issue, fulfils these aims; and takes a look at the social science research in terms of past undertakings, present pitfalls, and the future directions.
The Articles incorporate three papers, based on studies related to significant issues affecting, directly or indirectly, most of us. The first article explores the US- Pakistan strategic alliance in the backdrop of the Salala check-post tragedy and the strategy adopted by the two countries in this conflict. The author raises a thought-provoking and critical discussion regarding numerous pertinent questions such as: Does the concept of sovereignty vary? Are some states bound to be more sovereign than the rest? How to balance idealism with realism especially in the face of a intimidating challenge? What were the bases for Pakistan’s reaction related to Salala Incident? What were the circumstances that supported the two decision making paradigms- idealism and realism? The author has effectively taken up the questions, linked them firmly with the theoretical framework, traced the necessary historical background, and addressed the general sentiments that were real pressures straining the partnership and the decisions surrounding it.
The second article deals with extremely serious local problem violence against women and the need to empower them through education and training. The paper draws attention towards the worst aspect of this tragic reality that is the victims’ inability to express what ordeal they underwent; something that affects them psychologically, and makes it impossible to defend themselves. It also calls for the need to provide them space where without fear they can share their misfortune, regain confidence and self esteem, and put their life together. Violence against women has now been realized as a global challenge. Authentic data, available with international agencies, have confirmed its prevalence even in the advanced countries in the West and not just in the under developed and developing countries as generally assumed. In some cases, the statistics establish that the occurrence of such cases is much higher in the advanced countries than those of the developing countries. In Canada, one of the most developed countries of the world, half of all women have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of sixteen, and in US every two minutes a sexual assault incident occurs as reported by the Department of Justice. There is strong evidence in support of the need to explode the myths that attempt to cloak the horrendous reality that women are being victimized, abused, harassed, discriminated against. Only then, one can think of effective counter plans as affirmed from these words of Hillary Clinton, “As long as girls and women are valued less, fed less, fed last, over worked, underpaid, not schooled and subjected to violence in and out of their homes, the potential of the human family to create a peaceful, prosperous world will not be realized.”
In the third article the authors have explored Pakistan’s ties with Muslim World under President Ayub Khan’s leadership which is considered, by many, the golden era in the country’s history owing to the landmark developments. This paper is classified under the studies that are attempts to explore familiar history with a different approach to discover new cause and effect relationships between past events for information of those who are in similar positions and circumstances today. One may continue to hope and wish that those undertaking such studies and those for whom these are consequential, they are willing and able to learn from history.
JSSIR has been indexed with Ulrich’s database of serials and process with other indexing/abstracting services has been initiated. Another section, Abstracts, will be included from the next issue for which individuals, who have recently completed their PhD studies (within Pakistan), may send in a brief abstract of maximum 500 words. Those who wish to Comment on the published articles may send in their write up before 15 April 2013 for inclusion in the next issue.
Sajida Zaki. (2012) Editorial, Journal of Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Research, Volume 1, Issue 2.
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