Social Scientists Critique Surveying Methods

Left to right: Professor Sari Hanafi, Jawad Adra, Professor Nabil Dajani

AUB’s Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences assembled a number of students and intellectuals in an informal gathering known as the Sociology Café, which was held at Te Marbouta Café on October 21. They wanted to discuss with Jawad Adra the impact of opinion polls on decision-making in the United States and the Arab world.

As the director of Information International, Jawad Adra is a professional in the field of surveying. He commenced his discussion by expressing admiration for US presidential candidate John McCain and agreed with the results of a recent opinion poll by  saying, “Yes, we are behind him.” This, Adra stated, is contrary to the Arab attitude.

Adra provided his audience with a brief history on opinion polls in the Arab world and  surprisingly claimed that the first large scale poll conducted by a private firm in Lebanon occurred just in 1995. This history of minimal research and investigation, Adra stated, is due to the “tyrants in the Arab world who do not allow polls. The tyrants don’t want to hear the bad news.”  Another reason preventing opinion polls is the indifference of the Lebanese population towards the quality of products. “Consumerism is not based on need but on prestige. So why carry [out] a satisfaction survey?” Adra asked.

After his brief talk, the floor was opened for discussion and questions,  which brought forth a debate regarding the means of improving the conducting of polls. In commenting on the fallibility  of polls, Adra emphasized one point: most opinion polls are conducted for the West and for the eyes of the West.

The Sociology Café, which convenes once a month, seeks to create an environment of informal discussion among students and professors on critical issues of life in Lebanon. Discussions are usually held in English and are moderated and organized by AUB professors of sociology Sari Hanafi and Nabil Dajani.