This is a study of the identities and political mobilisation of the Lebanese Shiʿa throughout the modern history of Lebanon. Currently, the dominant paradigms for such studies focus on the question of sectarianism in Lebanon and the corresponding Shiʿi political movements, Amal and Hizbullah. This thesis presents an alternative approach. It argues that secular identities have also been an important component of the Shiʿi community’s political mobilisation. This is explored through an analysis of the relationship between the Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) and the communist Shiʿa. Drawing on interviews with senior LCP officials, current and former Shiʿi communists, party documents and additional interview evidence from the documentary film, We Were Communists, this thesis examines the origins, evolution and transformation of the relationship between the LCP and the Shiʿa after Lebanese independence in 1943, until the end of the Lebanese Civil War in 1990. Utilising the concepts of identity and political mobilisation, this thesis develops a hybridised approach to the study of political identity that combines primordial with constructionist readings of identity. This acknowledges the presence of a repertoire of multiple and varied identities among any individual or group, and their potential for mobilisation. Rather than assuming the domineering influence of primordial sentiments, such as sectarian identity, the hybridised approach requires an analysis of the conditions under which a particular identity becomes the basis for political mobilisation. In the aftermath of Lebanese independence in 1943, the Shiʿi community’s political mobilisation was characterised by a politics of resistance. This was a product of the legacy of the Shiʿi community’s experience of the French Mandate (1920-1943), as well as the newly reformulated confessional political system that was established by the National Pact (1943). The net effect of these processes was the marginalisation of the Shiʿa. The LCP, as a prominent anti-system opposition movement in Lebanon at this time, became the Shiʿi community’s main vehicle for the mobilisation and development of their resistance identity. During the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) the relationship between communism and the Shiʿa transformed as the LCP went into decline and new Shiʿi political actors emerged. The mantle of the Shiʿi community’s resistance identity became subject to the tensions between communism and communalism within the community. In the end, the Shiʿi community’s resistance identity was adopted and repackaged by Hizbullah, under whose auspices it remains today. The Shiʿi-communist relationship constitutes the Shiʿi community’s first engagement with formal, party-based and ideologically driven political mobilisation in Lebanon. The impact and legacy of the LCP’s influence on the Shiʿa in these terms encompasses not just the communist Shiʿa, but every other political actor in the community. Concern over the growing influence of communism led directly to the political mobilisation of the previously quietist Shiʿi religious clerics. This outcome is represented by the arrival of Imam Musa al-Sadr to Lebanon in 1959 and his stated goal of combatting the influence of communism among the Shiʿa. This thesis is an important addendum to the current understanding of the origins of Shiʿi political mobilisation, which erroneously place Musa al-Sadr at the beginning of that process. This study’s emphasis on alternative, non-sectarian forms of political identity is also a reminder of the Shiʿi community’s political diversity at a time when critical voices, resentful of Hizbullah’s and Amal’s monopoly, are currently emerging from within the ShiʿI community.

Este trabalho procura analisar a história libanesa (até abril de 2005), no intuito de encontrar subsídios para entender se o Estado que fora criado após o Mandato francês (1920-43), transformou-se numa Democracia. A discussão acerca de o Líbano ser considerado estadonação, também está presente no contexto histórico desse trabalho. Paralelamente aos questionamentos feitos sobre o sistema político libanês, analisam-se o surgimento do grupo xiita (Hizbullah), seu projeto islamista inicial e suas razões para transformar-se em partido político. Questionam-se as ligações: Hizbullah-Irã e Hizbullah- Síria. Na conclusão questiona-se, a partir dos modelos de democracia de Dahl, Lijphart e Sartori, se o Líbano hoje é um país democrático e se houve transformação no sistema político libanês com a inserção de uma organização islamista. / This work analyzes Lebanon\'s history until April, 2005, with the objective to determine if the State that came into being at the end of the French Mandate (1943) evolved into a democracy. The historical introduction also discusses to what degree Lebanon can be considered a nationstate. In parallel to the arguments about the Lebanese political system, we analyze the emergence of the Shiite group Hizbullah is analyzed, its initial Islamist project, and its transformation into a political party. Its links with Iran and Syria are also considered. In conclusion Dahl\'s, Lijphart\'s, and Sartori\'s models are applied to inquire if Lebanon today is a democratic country, and to what extent its political system had changed through the integration of an Islamist organization.

Agriculturalists in Lebanon are exposed to a wide range of vulnerability factors that have direct impacts on farmers’ livelihoods. To evaluate the effects of those factors and the livelihood challenges they breed, this research analyses how two agricultural activities shape farmer livelihood vulnerability, namely urban agriculture and fruit and vegetable value chains. First, I analyze how vulnerability factors influence urban agriculturalist livelihoods and assess if urban agriculture is an adequate solution to lower their livelihood vulnerability. Second, I analyse how various actors partaking in fruit and vegetable value chains are exposed to different vulnerability factors and how this impacts their individual livelihoods. Conceptually, the urban agriculture component of this research builds from the vulnerability framework and sustainable livelihoods approaches scholarships. The agricultural value chain section engages with literatures centered on the vulnerability framework, sustainable livelihoods approaches and value chain analysis. This thesis concludes that the main vulnerability factors associated with urban agriculture relate to physical, financial and human capitals, and that urban agriculture is not an adequate tool to reduce the livelihood vulnerability of urban agriculturalists. I also conclude that social, financial and human capital barriers significantly affect agricultural value chains actors’ livelihoods. Overall, the vulnerability of the different actors is linked to their socioeconomic status, which dictates the amount of human capital they possess, thus their ability to adapt to changing conditions and external stressors. I posit that human capital is key to both urban agriculture and agricultural value chains, as this asset dictates the vulnerability of individual livelihoods and Lebanese agriculturalists’ ability to sustain their livelihoods.

In this study the author attempts to evaluate structural evolutionary networks after turbulence using reconstructive logic. Analysing contingent stages of evolution provide for an in-depth study of the various forces impacting on a non-linear social system's recovery after turbulence. Similarly, such a mode of analysis allows for studying the inter-relationships among a system's endogenous and exogenous forces. Although each crisis is unique, yet an analysis of previous events would pave the way to generate learning curves geared towards the prevention, or at least mitigation, of the impact of future similar events. A detailed conceptual analysis of decision-making contexts and behavioural styles under varying levels of turbulent environmental states are evaluated to illustrate the direct and indirect inter-relationships among the actors/participants and their contributions to the creation and prolongation of a state of turbulence and instability. Since environmental states relate to the perceptions of the actors involved and their interactions over time, the connection between the two main environmental levels, namely, the system's internal micro-environmental factors - including inherent socio-political contradictions - and its external uncontrollable macro-environmental influences - incorporating regional and international forces - are evaluated. This study primarily deals with contingency planning for system's evolution after crisis. It is essentially a case study of turbulence at the national level of analysis, mainly dealing with the development of normative and predictive transferable policy implications geared towards a system's embarkation on a recovery and reconstruction mode. With this purpose in mind, this research study aims at developing a Reconstruction - Governance Contingency Path Analysis (RGPA) in terms of identifying and evaluating contingent stages of evolution based on an analysis of developmental leadership pathways. This is accomplished through an in-depth analysis of the components and conditions for a system's evolution as well as evaluating the inter-relationship between the system itself and its environment, both at the micro- and macro-levels. To illustrate its application to a specific country, the RGPA is applied to the case study of Lebanon / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (D. Min.)--Erskine Theological Seminary, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 200-204).

ABSTRACT Purpose: The intention of this study is to examine and compare the prevalence and correlates of suicide ideation among the youth in four Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries, namely Morocco, Jordan, United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. The results from this study are a valuable resource for further understanding suicidal behavior among youth in a region where the subject is often understudied and considered taboo. Additionally, findings from the study are important in prevention efforts in order to reduce suicide related behaviors and injuries among youth in EMR countries. The study also examined the correlates and variables associated with suicide ideation as differentiated by gender in an effort to see how these behaviors varied between boys and girls. Methods: The results of the study were derived using secondary analyses of datasets from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) which is conducted by the World Health Organization. The study analyzed data on students who fell primarily between the ages of 12 to 16 from the countries of Jordan (N=2197, 2007), Lebanon (N=5115, 2005), Morocco (N=2670, 2006) and United Arab Emirates (N=15790, 2005). The data was analyzed using logistical regression analyses to determine the associations between suicidal ideation and eight risk factors, which included being a victim of bullying, having a lack of close friends, feeling sad or hopeless, consuming alcohol, using illicit drugs, missing school, being involved in a physical fight, and dealing with hunger. The results of the study were also evaluated to examine differences among genders and the risk factors as associated with suicide ideation as well as differences between age groups. Results: The results of this study suggest that suicidal ideation among youth in EMR countries may be influenced by social, political, cultural and economic factors. Females showed higher rates of suicide ideation. Several of the eight risk factors analyzed showed significant associations to suicide ideation. Conclusion: There is a need for increased research into the areas of mental health in the EMR, especially in the area of suicide and suicide related behaviors. Suicide related statistics may be underreported in many nations of the EMR which are predominantly Islamic, where suicide is strongly prohibited by religion. Previous studies indicate that suicide ideation is strongly associated with certain risk factors. This study analyzed eight of these risk factors using a secondary logistical regression analysis of data from the Global Student Health Survey which is conducted annually by the WHO. The risk factors included in the study are bullying victimization, alcohol use, illicit drug use, having no friends, feeling sad, missing school, physical fighting and hunger. Additionally, associations were examined among different age groups ranging from 12 to 17 years and among the two genders. Several of the risk factors were shown to have a strong association to suicide ideation. Suicide ideation was more common among girls than in boys among all the countries studied. The results of this study may be useful to those looking to design and implement educational suicide prevention programs among school-age children in the EMR.

När omvärlden och krigen förändras, kan då den ”traditionella” operationskonsten behållas? I denna uppsats appliceras operativa principer definierade ur den israeliska operationskonsten från tidigare krig på det Andra Libanonkriget 12 juli till den 14 aug 2006. Syftet är att beskriva och diskutera operationskonstens dynamik och förutsättningar. I teorin influeras operationskonsten av både strategi, taktik och teori men även av en mängd andra subjektiva och objektiva faktorer. Undersökningen lyfter fram att de traditionella israeliska operativa principerna användes i en varierande omfattning men först i avslutningen av kriget kan ett ”traditionellt” operativt koncept identifieras. Resultatet visar att grundförutsättningarna för operativa principer måste vara uppfyllda för att konceptet skall kunna användas och att det måste finnas en samstämmighet mellan de strategiska förutsättningarna och de ramar och villkor som de subjektiva och objektiva faktorerna sätter. Undersökningen visar också att också att förändringar av koncept kräver impulser från resultat, strategi och övriga faktorer. Den strategiska insikten och förståelsen för dess påverkan är helt avgörande för om de militära åtgärderna är eller blir relevanta. Operationskonstens värde ligger i förmågan att under de taktiska förutsättningarna kunna omsätta det strategiska målet till en operativ idé. Denna idé skall bygga på ett operativt koncept med principer som är unikt anpassat för den aktuella operationen. Det centrala blir, att under gällande förutsättningar och med tillgängliga medel, dynamiskt balansera och hantera de påverkande faktorerna i aktuell tid och plats för att nå de strategiska målen med operationen. / When world and wars changes, can then the "traditional" operational art sustain? In this paper, operational principles defined from the Israeli operational art from past wars are applied to the Second Lebanon War, July 12 to Aug 14 2006. The aim is to describe and discuss the dynamics and conditions for the operational art. In theory, operational art is influenced by strategy, tactics and theory but also by a host of other subjective and objective factors. The survey highlights that the traditional Israeli operational principles were used in a various extent but only at the end of the war a "traditional" operational concept is identified. The results show that the basic conditions of operational principles must be fulfilled for the concept to be used and that there must be consistency between the strategic requirements and the limits and conditions that the subjective and objective factors sets. The survey also shows that changes in concepts require inputs from results, strategy and other factors. The strategic insight and understanding of its impact is crucial to whether military action is or becomes relevant. The value of Operational Art lies in its ability, in a tactical environment, to translate the strategic objective to an operational idea. This idea shall be based on an operational concept with principles that are uniquely suited for the current operation. The key is, under current conditions and with available resources, to dynamically balance and manage the affecting factors in current time and place to achieve the strategic objectives of the operation.

<p><b>Background & Problem</b>: Democracy in the Arab world has received much attention since the Kuwait war in 1991, both in academics and in the public debate. Lebanon in particular has through its history in the 20th century constantly been facing new challenges for its multicultural society of minorities. Conflicts have dominated several periods with a horrible experience of 15 years of civil war between 1975-1990. Religion and confessional belonging have large influence in the political system, giving Lebanon a character of confessional state. How the political system and civil society is related to concept of democracy is the main object of this study.</p><p><b>Purpose</b>: The main purpose of this study is to examine the political structure, civil society and democracy in Lebanon. A literature study is combined with a field study in order to deepen the understanding of the political system, civil society and process of democracy through interviews with actors within civil society, politicians and academics.</p><p><b>Method</b>: The scientific approach and method used in this study has a qualitative character with focus on hermeneutics and more specifically on the hermeneutic circle.</p><p><b>Theoretical Framework</b>: This chapter introduces the theoretical tools of the theory and concepts used in the study. Focus is on liberal democracy and deliberative democracy, and briefly on consociational democracy. Clarification of concept of state, civil society and democracy is used for further introduction in the case of Lebanon, which are also a part of this chapter. Primary and secondary sources are brought into light in the case of Lebanon, in which the interviews that are conducted during the field study are firmly a background for analysis.</p><p><b>Analysis & Conclusions</b>: In the analysis, the focus is on understanding the text (primary and secondary data) in search for fulfilling the purpose and reach for an understanding of civil society and democracy in Lebanon. This chapter deals with the interpretation of the case Lebanon in evaluation of the theoretical framework with discussion on civil society, de-mocracy and political system. Conclusions and reflection upon the study and its results are presented in a final chapter.</p>

Thesis (D. Min.)--Abilene Christian University, 2008. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-82).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009. / Prepared for: L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Bibliography: leaves 217-225.