Politics, Culture and Lebanese Diaspora
May 24–26, 2007. Lebanese American University, Beirut Campus.

A Call for Papers

The aim of the conference is to examine politics and culture of Lebanese migrants and their descendants in different parts of the world. Scholars and researchers are invited to examine communal, national and transnational elements of these practices and to explore changing characteristics of politics and culture in respect to migration, Diaspora and globalization. They are encouraged to raise questions about the incompatible and interpenetrating relationships between these various aspects, and to examine processes of identity formation as cultural manifestations of migratory politics.

Scholars and researchers from various disciplines are invited to address these issues; we aim to collect the original papers presented at the conference in an edited volume to be published by LAU’s Institute for Migrant Research.

Given the interest of the Lebanese diaspora in current events in Lebanon, this conference is particularly timely. Furthermore, LAU is particularly well-positioned to convene such a conference because of an earlier one it held in 2001 entitled “The Lebanese Presence in the World.” The conference will seek to reflect the geographical diversity of the Lebanese diaspora and those who study it by hosting scholars from within Lebanon as well as Lebanese and non-Lebanese abroad whose work focuses on issues concerning culture, politics and the Lebanese diaspora.

Suggested Topics

Section One

Politics, Culture and Diaspora: A theoretical approach

Section Two: Lebanese Networks in Diaspora

1. Lebanese politics in the Diaspora, e.g. USA, Canada, Australia, West Africa, France, etc. (e.g. Amal Movement, Hizb Allah, Lebanese Forces, Tayyar Watani, The Social Nationalist Syrian Party, The Communist Party)
2. Religious institutions (e.g. The Maronite Church) and the Lebanese abroad
3. The politics of international networks of the Lebanese Diaspora (The World Cultural Union, The Maronite League, etc.)

Section Three: States and Diasporas: Political Relationships

1. The relationship of the Lebanese state to the Lebanese abroad.
2. The participation of Lebanese migrants and their descendents in the politics of the country of settlement/host country
3. The participation of Lebanese migrants and their descendents in the politics of the country of origin (e.g. the right of Lebanese migrants to political representation and/or electoral participation in Lebanon).

Section Four: Culture of Diasporas

Cultural production amongst Lebanese in the Diaspora

• Youth immigrant culture: rap songs and dancing
• Modern Lebanese singing and folklore singing and dancing
• Cinema
• Fine arts
• Literary writings (poetry, short stories and novels)
• Religious ceremonies

Section Five: Profiling Lebanese Diasporic communities

1. Educational profile
2. Occupational structure
3. Demographic structure
4. Life histories
5. Kinship relations and marriage patterns

Section Six

Lebanese Diaspora, Multiculturalism and Identity Formation

Contact person: Dr. Paul Tabar, ptabar@lau.edu.lb