Introduction
The bearing of the Saudi Arabian-Iranian disputes dates back to the 1970’s when religious extremism took center stage, and as such embroiled the relationship between the otherwise two powerful states constructed on rich religious backgrounds (Fürtig, 2002). The greater intolerance and religious extremism continue to jeopardize the prospects of having stronger international ties between the two states that had once shared cordial international relations, and who were once bound by common religious doctrines. The Iranian revolution of the 1979 is all to blame for the emergence of this war, whose effects had far reaching consequence to the two nations, and especially ruined their International Relations, economic prospects, fueled animosity and political cum religious intolerance. Because of the poor state of relationships between these two powerful Islamic dynasties, the West and America took advantage of this situation, and played politics of dominance in order to exert their influence and in the regions (Fürtig, 2002). As a result of the intervention of divergent Western interest, the situation aggravated even further, pitting the economies of both countries to a downward sprawl. This war has been shrouded by a lot of circumstances pitting both sides, and it has sometimes generated the worst case of political intolerance from both divides (Mabon, 2013). Even though the actual conflict happened over 30 years ago, the impacts of the war are still felt in equal proportion to date, and even today’s decisions involving these two countries, the animosity has always carried the day. Principally, the hatred and jeopardized international relations attributed to the war are widely felt in the current generations, with both countries holding counter-accusations against each other.
Statement of Problem
The research problem for this research is to give a vivid analysis of the key factors that fueled Saudi Arabian-Iran war and how the conflict has pitted both countries in the current generation, while soliciting for a rational idea in dispelling the standoffs.
Research Objectives
Research objectives form the epicenter of every research, and depending on the main topic of analysis, the research objectives will always find solution to the research problem. Thus, the core of a research is justified based on the whether it fully meets the objectives or not. The following are some objectives that will form a mainstream focus in this paper.
This research seeks to enumerate the main causes for the Saudi Arabian-Iranian wars
This research is entrenched in finding pout the political, social, and economic impacts of the Saudi Arabian-Iranian war
This research seeks to explicate the influence of this war in the current generations, and how it has sparked Internal Relations between the two countries
Seeks to formulate major stipulations that could bring a sustainable solutions to this prolonged war
Research Questions
Research questions fulfill the validity of the research objectives. Thus, answering research questions give credence and a solution to research objectives. In the foregoing discussion, the research problem has always been to enumerate the main trigger to the Saudi Arabian-Iranian conflicts, its consequences in a multiplicative perspectives, and rationale solutions to this war. The following research questions shall spearhead this course of action and inquiry:
What are the key factors that triggered the Saudi-Arabian war in the 1970’s?
What were the immediate impacts of the war in the wake of increased tension by both countries?
Did religious extremists ideas and intolerance played a role in perpetuating this war?
What is the current state of the International relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran?
What are the possible solutions to this Saudi Arabian-Iranian war?
Research Design
The determination of the research design could take place in three distinct respects; could be based on the core function, the information requirement, and finally could be based on the methodology used (Creswell, 2014). With regards to the core function, this research exhibits the nature of a pure research as it seeks to unfold facts on broad issues with the aim of increasing the knowledge and understanding on certain events, like the Saudi Arabian-Iranian war as well as its salient impacts. On the other hand, the information requirement for this research combines both descriptive, explanatory, and comparative research. For example, this research fits into the context of a descriptive research as it gives factual evidence about the mainstream causes of Saudi Arabian-Iranian war, its impacts and amicable rationale towards its termination. Besides, the research shapes up into an exploratory research since it provides research evidence with regards to unexplored areas about Saudi Arabian-Iranian wars, and how it has manifested in the current generations.
The main area in which this research proposal is grounded refers to the methodology. The research methodology of this study will hold key attributes to facilitating the intended outcomes of the study (Maxwell, 2012). Thus, the methodology is a significant area of research interest in which most objectives and research questions shall be founded. Based on the nature of this research, a qualitative method shall be preferred over quantitative or mixed method. Use of qualitative method in this research is founded on the precept that the expectations and research problem would require textual data over numeric data. As a predominant method, qualitative research will be anchored in finding solutions to the research objectives and questions enlisted above. Thus, the findings with regards to the Saudi Arabian-Iranian wars would be best unfolded by adopting this methodology. Just to state, the method in which this qualitative method would be anchored include the use of in depth interviews; this is a mainstream section of primary research (Creswell, 2014). On the other hand, the secondary research would be done in order to exonerate issues enlisted in the previous sections. The secondary research involve finding more information regarding the Saudi Arabian-Iranian war using credible online, print, and journal sources. Thus, the secondary sources would act as supportive documents to the findings of the primary research (Laurel, 2003). The generation of qualitative data would be done in such a manner that the target respondents would be subjected to an in-depth interview in order to discuss the issues behind the Saudi Arabian-Iranian war. Other reasons that influence the choice of qualitative data is that it gives a firm ground of a positive interpretivism, which gathers data rich in details about the Saudi Arabian-Iranian wars. Besides, the choice for qualitative methodology fits into this research as it leads to an accurate investigation of the research problem, finds solution to the research questions, and meets the desired nature of the research. With these reasons, I find qualitative methodology as very appropriate to this research.
The invocation of the right strategy to unraveling my research questions is a very critical step in this research. Therefore, I will adopt multiple strategies in order to give credible solutions to my research questions to this study. Ethnography is one strategy that I would apply in order to give formidable solutions to my research questions (Creswell, 2014). Under this strategy, I will explore various social and cultural beliefs of both countries that might have triggered the war, whose effects have speared over generations. The study of the cultural beliefs, social and religious realms to these communities would give a platform in which genesis and solutions to this war can be founded. Other than ethnography, I would deploy the use of narrative in order to give solutions to my research question. The narrative from the target respondents would give first-hand verbal information about the genesis of this war, and how it has impacted these two countries. In order to amicably answer the research questions, I would need textual data cutting across all dimensions. For example, I would expect most respondents to give a constant position about the cause of war, its impacts and the solutions to this war. This will bear some accuracy, and with this it becomes very easy to compound the data and generate a proper outcome analysis.
References
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 4th Edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications
Fürtig, H. (2002). Iran's rivalry with Saudi Arabia between the Gulf wars. Reading: Ithaca Press.
Laurel, B. (2003). Design research: Methods and perspectives. Cambridge, Mass. ; London, England: MIT Press.
Mabon, S. (2013). Saudi Arabia and Iran: Soft power rivalry in the Middle East. London: I.B. Tauris.
Maxwell, J. A. (2012). Qualitative research design. London: Sage.
