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Student Activism for Socio-Political Change: Constructing a Secular Habitus in the American University of Beirut

Barakate, Sofija LU (2016) MOSM03 20161
Centre for Middle Eastern Studies
Abstract
This thesis explores the activism of AUB students for social and political change promoting secularism on campus and in the Lebanese society and politics. It draws from 17 interviews, a focus group and observations during four months of fieldwork. It looks into the ways how members of the AUB Secular Club employ the notion of secularism, and how diversity in the AUB campus facilitates the collective action of the club. The data was approached using a mixed theoretical framework, which encompasses multiple secularities (Wohlrab-Sahr and Burchardt), transition points (Munson) and habitus (Bourdieu) as it is used by contemporary authors to understand social change. Two main arguments are identified in the data analysis of this thesis. First,... (More)
This thesis explores the activism of AUB students for social and political change promoting secularism on campus and in the Lebanese society and politics. It draws from 17 interviews, a focus group and observations during four months of fieldwork. It looks into the ways how members of the AUB Secular Club employ the notion of secularism, and how diversity in the AUB campus facilitates the collective action of the club. The data was approached using a mixed theoretical framework, which encompasses multiple secularities (Wohlrab-Sahr and Burchardt), transition points (Munson) and habitus (Bourdieu) as it is used by contemporary authors to understand social change. Two main arguments are identified in the data analysis of this thesis. First, by attaching a set of values and behaviors to the notion of secularity, the members of the Secular Club employ this notion to form a new secular habitus among youth in the Lebanese society and politics in response to political and social sectarianism. Second, the AUB campus enhances the activism of the Secular Club through its exposure to a variety of social groups and its interaction with them, and through the provision of a space without the usual networks of patronage where club members can form and practice their ideas about secularity. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Barakate, Sofija LU
supervisor
organization
course
MOSM03 20161
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
secularism, Lebanon, AUB, student activism, sectarianism
language
English
id
8895595
date added to LUP
2017-03-13 08:10:21
date last changed
2017-03-13 08:10:21
@misc{8895595,
  abstract     = {{This thesis explores the activism of AUB students for social and political change promoting secularism on campus and in the Lebanese society and politics. It draws from 17 interviews, a focus group and observations during four months of fieldwork. It looks into the ways how members of the AUB Secular Club employ the notion of secularism, and how diversity in the AUB campus facilitates the collective action of the club. The data was approached using a mixed theoretical framework, which encompasses multiple secularities (Wohlrab-Sahr and Burchardt), transition points (Munson) and habitus (Bourdieu) as it is used by contemporary authors to understand social change. Two main arguments are identified in the data analysis of this thesis. First, by attaching a set of values and behaviors to the notion of secularity, the members of the Secular Club employ this notion to form a new secular habitus among youth in the Lebanese society and politics in response to political and social sectarianism. Second, the AUB campus enhances the activism of the Secular Club through its exposure to a variety of social groups and its interaction with them, and through the provision of a space without the usual networks of patronage where club members can form and practice their ideas about secularity.}},
  author       = {{Barakate, Sofija}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Student Activism for Socio-Political Change: Constructing a Secular Habitus in the American University of Beirut}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}