Civil society in a sectarian context. (c2010)

Those are the first words that you read from this thesis, yet they are the last words that I have written for a research that has taken a little bit more than a year to complete.The finishing of this long learning process is eclipsed by events that remind me of the issues addressed here.Only a month ago, newspaper articles reported that husbands and children of Lebanese women married to non-nationals continue to be expelled from Lebanon.When people continue to be humiliated, imprisoned, expelled and tortured on a daily basis, can an MA student like me justify her pursuit for knowledge, safely at home or in the library?If this thesis has any significance at all, I hope is to help understand the circumstances that shape our daily routine or in the words of my advisor, the context that we live in.By doing so, we can take decisions in light of these contexts and avoid jeopardizing rights that are necessary for the health of democracy in Lebanon.This thesis is the product of the work that extended over a full year.All my gratitude goes to the people who helped me finish it.First of all, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Bassel Salloukh, for the academic guidance, comments, patience, support, ongoing encouragement and most importantly for infusing me with a passion for research in general and fieldwork research in particular.I am also greatly indebted to Dr. Amal Sabbagh, who influenced my understanding of qualitative fieldwork research.I would also like to thank the women and men who shared with me their interesting stories.Without them, this learning experience would not have been possible.Finally, I would like to thank my father and mother