?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Civil+Society+Iraq&rft.creator=Gresham%2C+Dr.+JN&rft.creator=Linssen%2C+Dr.+Hub&rft.subject=Social+Psychology&rft.description=Civil+Society+Iraq%0A(an+Oxymoron+if+ever+there+was+one)1%0A%0AJon+Gresham+and+Hub+Linssen*%0AFebruary+2004%0A%0AAbstract%0A%09This+project+began+in+response+to+a+phone+call%2C+asking+me+(Jon)+to+help+lead+a+reconstruction+assessment+team+in+Iraq%2C+in+April+2003.++I+wanted+to+attempt+three+other+things+on+my+trip%3A%0A1)+To+collect++social+systems+data+in+the+immediate+post-conflict+environment%3B%0A2)+To+test+such+data+collected+for+internal+validity%3B%0A3)+To+test+statistical+interpretations+of+data+for+application+to+projects+of+relief%2C+reconstruction+and+development+in+Iraq.%0A%0A%09All+three+points+were+accomplished.++Data+was+easy+to+collect%2C+inexpensive+to+collect+(thanks+to+pre-existing+networks+of+friends)%2C+and+when+tested%2C+had+appearance+of+consistency+%26+validity.+When+combinations+of+survey+items+were+tested+against+each+other%2C+certain+composite+identities+reflected+either+a+%22pro-change%22+or+%22anti-change%22+attitude.+This+was+exciting!+Individual+characteristics+such+as+religion%2C+ethnic+origin%2C+etc%2C+seemed+to+have+little+direct+bearing+on+a+respondent's+attitude+towards+change+in+Iraq.+But%2C+certain+interacting+characteristics+did+reflect+consistent+and+significant+bias+towards+or+against+change+(and+the+outsiders+who+wanted+to+introduce+change).%0A%0A%09We+surveyed+480+Iraqi+people%2C+in+five+locations%2C+with+a+single+page+survey+instrument.+We+asked+them+to+provide+basic+demographic+information%2C+and+also+opinions+as+to+intra-Iraq+and+extra-Iraq+sources+of+threat+to+their+future+well-being.%0A%0A%09An+additional+innovation+was+that+of+publishing+data%2C+background+information%2C+and+the+research+process+onto+a+web+page.+But%2C+instead+of+using+a+standard+%22read-only%22+form+of+web+publishing%2C+I+used+a+%22wiki.%22+A+wiki+is+a+fully-editable+internet+forum+where+users+can+add%2C+delete+or+change+the+content+of+the+web+page.+This+was+risky%2C+but+I+found+that+visitors+to+the+site+contributed+pleasantly%2C+with+some+emailing+directly+to+me+very+valuable+pre-publication+research+papers.+By+putting+the+work+on+the+web%2C+it+allowed+me+to+keep+scientists%2C+decision-makers%2C+resource+agencies%2C+and+Iraq+fieldworkers+informed+by+brief+emails+about+web+site+changes.+%0A%0A%09Follow-up+is+needed+to+confirm+and+deepen+the+pilot+test+data+and+conclusions.++We+found%2C+for+example%2C+that+moderate+Arabs+in+Iraq+were+the+most+opposed+to+foreign+involvement%2C+and+they+were+the+most+opposed+to+expatriate+Iraqis+returning+to+Iraq.++On+the+other+hand%2C+those+respondents+with+strong+religious+or+ethnic+identities+expressed+far+less+opposition+to+change%2C+to+foreign+involvement%2C+and+to+the+return+of+Iraqis+living+abroad.++All+of+this+does+have+relevance+to+decision-makers+and+field+workers+in+relief+and+development+and+reconstruction+in+Iraq.++I+would+welcome+comments+on+the+web+site%3A++http%3A%2F%2FCivilSocietyIraq.seedwiki.com.%0A%0A_____________%0A*+Jon+Gresham+is+a+visiting+scholar+at+the+University+of+Utrecht%2C+Netherlands.++His+work+focuses+on+the+Cyprus-Syria-Iraq-Iran+area.++Hub+Linssen%2C+Assistant+Professor+at+the+University+of+Utrecht%2C+is+an+experimental+psychologist+with+a+specialist+interest+in+cross-national+comparative+survey+methodology.%0A&rft.date=2004-03&rft.type=Preprint&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=text%2Fhtml&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F3473%2F1%2FCSI3_2004.html&rft.identifier=++Gresham%2C+Dr.+JN+and+Linssen%2C+Dr.+Hub++(2004)+Civil+Society+Iraq.++%5BPreprint%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F3473%2F