The term ‎'‎wasta stems from the Arabic root for ‎'‎middle‎'‎ or ‎'‎medium‎'‎ and describes the phenomenon of using ‎'‎connections‎'‎ to find job‎,‎ government services or other favors to circumvent bureaucracy or bypass the system as a whole‎.‎ The effects of ‎'‎wasta‎'‎ may be both positive or negative‎,‎ and is not a phenomenon that is particular to the Arab or Muslim world‎,‎ but also to many other cultures and regions of the world‎,‎ with similar concepts popularly known as ubuntu‎,‎ guanxi‎,‎ harambee‎,‎ naoberschop‎,‎ or ‎"‎old boy network‎"‎ used in African‎,‎ Chinese and European societies‎.‎ By its very nature ‎'‎wasta‎'‎ is an area of grey or even black information‎,‎ and‎,‎ like corruption to which it is most often associated‎,‎ is hard to assess although country corruption perception indexes attempt to provide a quantifiable basis‎.‎ In the final analysis such ratings are based on perceptions of corruption‎,‎ and this perception may vary strongly depending on different societal structures and cultural modes‎,‎ whether these are extended family systems‎,‎ tribal‎,‎ clans or more atomized societies where relationships are essentially transactional and rule based‎.‎In a western perspective where ‎'‎wasta‎'‎ may be considered as a form of corruption‎,‎ in other societies it may be perceived as something ‎'‎natural‎'‎ and not criminal‎,‎ and using one‎'‎s ‎'‎wasta‎'‎ in tribal societies to help clan members is seen as a duty‎.‎ The difference stems from the ‎'‎innocent ‎'‎ use of ‎'‎wasta‎'‎ to make introductions‎,‎ as opposed to its abuse in placing unqualified persons in positions ‎.‎The volume brings together academics and professional experts to examine a range of multi‎-faceted social‎,‎ economic and political issues raised by the use and abuse of social networking‎,‎ covering various topics like‎:‎ *‎'‎wasta‎'‎ interpersonal connections in family and business ties‎,‎*The relationship between inequality‎-adjusted human development and corruption perception indexes in the Gulf region‎,‎*‎'‎wasta‎'‎ and business networking‎,‎ assessing the economic cost of ‎'‎wasta‎'‎‎,‎*‎'‎wasta‎'‎ and its impact on quality oriented education reform and the perceptions of young people‎,‎*The use of ‎'‎wasta‎'‎ to overcome socio‎-cultural barriers for women and men The volume also offers insights into social relations and ethics‎,‎ and how the use of ‎'‎wasta‎'‎ contradicts with common held religious principles‎,‎ along with some country studies on Islamic principles and the use of ‎'‎wasta‎'‎‎.‎Mohamed Ramady is a Visiting Associate Professor‎,‎ King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals‎,‎ Saudi Arabia‎.‎

• Author‎:‎ Mohamed A‎.‎ Ramady
• Publisher‎:‎ Springer
• ISBN‎:‎ 9783319222004