Globalization and Nationalism in Lebanon

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship of the Druze community and the Progressive Socialist Party with the Lebanese nation‐state. It explores the ways globalization’s expansions and contractions have shaped communitarian’s attachment to the nation‐state. The research examines this hypothetical relationship through the assumptions embedded in globalization’s Double Movement Theory. It tests whether the past decade of global expansion has undermined the Lebanese nation‐state at various economic, security, and cultural levels. It also explores whether COVID19’s pandemic has reversed such a trend. Utilizing a case study of communitarian politics, this thesis tracks the perception and attitude developing among the Druze intellectuals and the Progressive Socialist Party’s leaders to gage changes. The findings reveal various aspects confirming the Double Movement Theory while discrepancies are explained in terms of protracted identity‐based grievances that have undermined national integration and cohesion irrespective of global developments.