About this blog...

I am a former leader of a Human Terrain Team in Iraq. My intent with this blog was to identify relevant, open-source materials on Iraqi culture, society, politics, religion and economics - just about anything on or about the Iraqi population in general.

I am continuing the blog now only sporadically, as a means of information distribution in support of efforts to improve a vital program hamstrung by failures in execution.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Institutions in the Middle East

This one is actually an example from Cairo that the author applies to the whole Middle East. Actually, I think it's probably applicable in any culture. But it's a useful observation given the work we're trying to do over there: it's a discussion of the way that informal institutions can often trump any formal, legal or rule-based structures and institutions.


No comments: