Abstract:
The topic of emigration has always been a unique aspect of the Lebanese
society and has been extensively covered by academics. However, no
research has examined return migrants, in particular, the role of migration in
their upward social mobility process. Therefore, this thesis was motivated
by an objective to fill a gap in the Lebanese literature concerning return
migrants and the role of migration in the formation of an upper class in
Lebanon. This thesis aims to investigate how migration enabled some
Druze families to join the Lebanese upper class after spending some years
abroad. To achieve the research’s objective, nineteen semi-structured
qualitative interviews were conducted with return migrants who due to
migration and working abroad are now part of the upper class. The analysis
of the role of migration in the upward social mobility process of our
informants is examined based on the capitals as defined by Bourdieu
(1986). Finally, this research reveals that all of the interviewed informants
utilized one or a combination of social, cultural, and/or economic capital to
assist them in their upward social mobility journey.
