Dawood Mamoon
Traditional qualitative data approaches often rely on 'perception'-that is, the subjective interpretation of experience as articulated by individuals or observed through social signals. However, perception is passive, immediate, and often decontextualized. In contrast, pretentiousness is performative, longitudinal, and structurally embedded. It reflects a strategic projection shaped by institutional norms and social expectations, a cognitive navigation tool for identity expression in complex social systems; and a dynamic interplay between intent and presentation, thus providing richer qualitative data than perception alone.By elevating pretentiousness as a primary unit of cultural analysis, the book unlocks deeper insights into how individuals, organizations, and states manage the presentation of values, aspirations, and roles. This allows Economics to move beyond output indicators and thereby develop 'trust indices,' 'narrative coherence measures,' and 'cultural stability markers.' This means rethinking the data structure of development diagnostics to include qualitative cultural and ethical dimensions. This builds upon the critique that HDI and similar indices still reflect utilitarian frames, whereas most communities conceive well-being relationally and morally.
