This dissertation focuses on the different ways that religion and secularism are understood and articulated through the practices of Lebanese citizens. Situated at the intersections of legal anthropology, theories of secularism and religion, and interdisciplinary studies of the state and gendered citizenship, my research invites us to rethink theories of liberalism, feminism, and secular modernity by demonstrating how they manifest in non-Western contexts. My project thus challenges us to think more critically about the supposed universality of Euro American articulations of secularism, liberalism, and feminism and asks us to reexamine how these categories are circulated and regulated internationally. I study two practices of Lebanese citizenship; religious conversion as an act that moves between different personal status laws, and advocacy for a secular personal status and/or civil marriage law. This advocacy is a crucial part of what I am calling "da`wa secularism," a term that brings into relief the pedagogical aspect of an activism that aims to saturate the public sphere with a "culture of secularism." Both conversion and da'wa secularism are practices that are predicated on and directed towards the Lebanese legal system. Acts of conversion rely on the laws currently in place; advocacy for a secular personal status seeks to reform them. Despite this divergence between these two practices of Lebanese citizenship, both are couched in and discursively reproduce important aspects of the ideological framework of the Lebanese state. These aspects include the secularity of the state, the role the state is supposed to play in ensuring the protection of Lebanon's pluralism, and the state's mandate to buffer citizens from the overreaching of religious personal status institutions. However, conversion reproduces the state's secularity as the universal space which allows a citizen to change religions freely, while activists suggest that this form of secularism is deficient, dangerous, and "not truly" secular. Similarly, acts of conversion reproduce the citizen as a category of practice that is refracted through the registers of personal status and civil/secular laws and within which the latter has ultimate jurisdiction over the former, while advocacy for a secular personal status seeks to produce Lebanese citizens that are only, and entirely, under the jurisdiction of the civil and secular state. At stake are contending views of secularism, religion, and citizenship.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

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The focus of this qualitative study was Lebanese-Canadians‟ identity in the context of global media coverage of the July 2006 war in Lebanon. A narrative inquiry method was used to interview five Lebanese-Canadian participants living in Canada. A descriptive narrative was constructed for each participant, and interview data were analyzed for thematic content. Comments, opinions, and observations were related to media portrayals of Lebanese-Canadians, the government‟s response to the July 2006 war, and the political history between Lebanon and Israel. The results demonstrate that despite a shared ethnic heritage, conceptualizing a Lebanese-Canadian identity is an individual and interactive process that extends beyond citizenship or ethnic ancestry. Moreover, historical and contemporary socio-political issues are inextricably linked to how participants view themselves as Lebanese-Canadians and the meaning this identity status holds for them. These findings suggest that notions of identity and identity-related processes are multifaceted and operate within a highly political context. / Graduate

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No description available.

The flow of foreign direct investment has long been regarded as the main engine of growth in developing countries. Lebanon has aimed at attracting foreign direct investment to contribute to its economic recovery in the post-civil war period. EU countries were expected to be a major source of investment inflows, partly, due to their rich historical relationship, and partly, as an expected result of the new Euro-Med approach, adopted in the 1990s.This thesis assesses the EU private business interests in Lebanon during the reconstruction period, and investigates to what extent EU business engagements involved FDI. Within this framework, this thesis examines the role of the EU in encouraging the flow of EU private investments into Lebanon. This thesis falls into two parts. The first assesses the history of economic relations between Lebanon and Europe in the modern period, and the development of these relations after the establishment of the EC, examining the role of the latter in reshaping these relations. It also assesses the development of the Lebanese economy since independence from France. In the second part of the thesis, the theoretical framework of FDI is applied to a survey of EU private businesses operating in Lebanon. This helped in answering two questions: what business activities did involve FDI, and why EU firms engagement in FDI was very shallow. The thesis concludes that the lack of FDI activities in Lebanon, whether EU or non-EU, was a result of the lack of comparative location-specific advantages. It also suggests that the Lebanese government should assume a stronger role in improving Lebanon’s comparative advantages in order to attract FDI. The EU should provide substantial help - within the Euro-Med approach - to encourage EU private business investments in the country.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toledo, 2009. / Typescript. "Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for The Master of Arts in History." "A thesis entitled"--at head of title. Bibliography: leaves 180-189.

This thesis project focused on exploring protracted impediments among Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and examined the varying perspectives among stakeholders in the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, looking at the international significance of their current public discourse and its consequent implications. This project was conducted with the purpose of contributing to the existing literature, but most importantly, it was conducted with the hopes of contributing to the stabilization phase being carried out by several organizational partnerships on the ground by providing relevant information focused on sustainability, capacity building and nonsectarian approaches. Notably, this project hopes to expose impediments in overlooked unofficial settlements in the Tamnine el Fawka Area, settlement #53415-01-007 and settlement #53415-01-011 in the Beqaa Valley Province, Lebanon. The information collected in this project was obtained through interviews, focus groups and an extensive observation process for four months throughout Lebanese territory. Funded by the UO Sandra Morgen Fellowship.

This study aimed at developing a Lebanese preschool instrument, a Lebanese preschool readiness test that can reliably, accurately, and rapidly identify children who are ready for preschool. Collecting norms and establishing the psychometric properties of the instrument was another major function of this study. To fulfil these functions a thorough review of the literature on preschool screening, preschool instruments, preschool child, and early childhood education was presented. In addition, interviews were conducted with a representative sample of preschool teachers and coordinators in Lebanon, and a clear definition of abilities that need to be assessed before admission was reached. Based on this needs assessment, test specifications were laid down, items were constructed, materials prepared, and directions for administration and scoring were written. The initial version of the test was piloted on a sample of 50 Lebanese children of both sexes aged 2.6 to 5.0. Based on the results of the pilot survey, test items were analyzed, and subsequently some items were revised. The final version of the test appeared with 122 items divided into four major scales: Motor, Memory, Concept, and Language. The test was then normed on a sample of 250 Lebanese children aged 2.6 - 5.0 enrolled (or applying) to large institutions repre~entative of preschool population in Beirut and reflecting three socioeconomic levels (i.e. high, middle, and low). Norms were reported in the form of standardized scores and percentiles. T. and F. tests revealed that the subjects' means significantly varied by age, but that no significant sex differences were noted on the major scales (M, Me, L, & C), but that significant socio-economic differences were noted on the Language scale. The reliability of the instrument was assessed by computing its alpha coefficient, and the obtained r (0.90) spoke well for the internal stability of the LPRT. Finally, the criterion validity of the LPRT was established by correlating subjects' scores with end of the year teacher ratings, and with their score on another preschool screening instrument, the DIAL R. In addition, and concurrent with the development of the test, other validity questions (content, construct) were also answered.