Structural limitations to modernization in Lebanon. (c2010)

Abstract

The Lebanese state has seldom played a role in the modernization of Lebanon. The study attempts to address the problem of structural inertia in the Lebanese polity despite the obvious need for systemic change. Whichever way 'modernization' may lead the Lebanese polity, this study aims to understand the structural limitations of the current system to any such attempts- the structural limitations to any move away from the long-standing status quo. Throughout this exploration, the term structure refers to institutions and groups, interaction patterns that have been sustained over time, constitutive rules and norms, and the relationships that link institutions to each other. These structures are classified into four categories: social, economic, political, and regional structures. Fouad Chehab offered the option of an expanded welfare state while Rafiq al-Hariri sought a minimal and non-interventionist state. Seemingly the Lebanese, through their political elites, rejected both. Despite intermittent political crises, a sustained civil-war, a highly unstable regional environment, and massive emigration; there remain three constants: Lebanon's consociational democracy, its liberal economy, and its ruling elite. These constants must rest their legitimacy on more solid pillars than the manipulation of the few. This study is committed to understanding systemic resistance to reform and modernization in Lebanon by exploring the limitations that the social, economic, political, and regional structures manifested against the Chehabist and Hariri attempts at state modernization.