Elite interests and the use of sectarianism in postwar Lebanon

Abstract

The sectarian system has historically developed from 1843 with various power-sharing models. This system has failed repeatedly to adequately address the needs of the people in Lebanon. Many groups have demanded rights-based citizenship and challenged the sectarian and clientelist system in Lebanon and its elite but have not been able to structurally change them. The research uses the theory of instrumentalism to understand the role of sectarianism in Lebanon and how it is used to reinforce and protect elite interests. By establishing how sectarianism is a constructed phenomenon, the thesis shows how clientelism flourishes under the sectarian system. The study also shows the congruence between the rentier neo-liberal economy and the political sectarian system in Lebanon. This overlap emphasizes the structural problems of Lebanon that has deprived the people in Lebanon from equally accessing resources and practicing their rights. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with traditional sectarian parties and opposition groups who participated in the 2019 Intifada to explore these concepts further. Findings show that all traditional sectarian parties understand sectarianism from a primordialist perspective. Findings have also shown that these parties overlook structural problems associated with the political and economic system of Lebanon. Opposition groups have favored heavily secular, rights-based citizenship that incorporates social, political, economic, and cultural rights.