Western' pop culture in Lebanese universities. (c2009)

Abstract

This thesis seeks to explore the extent to which modern western educational ideology influences, or even determines, educational development in the Middle East, and in particular in Lebanon. In the last decade, new forms of analysis for evaluating global educational trends have emerged giving rise to a growing body of international literature (Mundy, 2007). This literature links the processes of economic, political and social globalization to how education is constructed around the world. This thesis aims to add to that body of knowledge by exploring the spread of Western ideology to the architecture of Middle East education. The research component of this thesis sought to determine the presence, if any, of popular culture on Lebanese university campuses and the extent to which Western pop culture impacts the educational experience in Lebanon. Triangulation was used to further validate findings, with surveys, interviews and observations being the primary methods of data collection. The results collected support the original hypothesis, demonstrating that Western ideology, in particular pop culture, has indeed spread to Lebanese educational campuses. Finally, I present my conclusions in the hope that this work can provide fresh understanding of some of the factors and forces shaping the Lebanese higher education sector of 2008.