Non-Western Threats and the Social Sciences

As the Department of Defense strives to take the social sciences more seriously in the face of threats emanating from the non-West, it confronts several challenges. Among them, we Westerners cannot model non-Western minds. Nor can we devise a methodology that will accurately capture contingency. We...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Orbis (Philadelphia) 2014, Vol.58 (4), p.552-565
Main Author: Simons, Anna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysts
Armed forces
Cultural Pluralism
Defence administration
Defense Policy
East and West
Individuals
Methodology
National security
Social Sciences
Threat
Threats
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Summary:As the Department of Defense strives to take the social sciences more seriously in the face of threats emanating from the non-West, it confronts several challenges. Among them, we Westerners cannot model non-Western minds. Nor can we devise a methodology that will accurately capture contingency. We may already be doing our “scientific” best with “pattern of life” targeting. Consequently, DoD should invest more heavily in individuals who already have an affinity for, and interest in, the non-West and who show promise as future commanders and talented analysts rather than spend large sums on trying to devise more comprehensive models, methodologies, and metrics.
ISSN:0030-4387
1873-5282
DOI:10.1016/j.orbis.2014.08.011