The Souk the Story of South Lebanon: Marketplace, People, and Institutions
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The Souk The Story of South Lebanon: Marketplace, People, and Institutions Rana Taher A Thesis In The Special Individualized Program Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Special Individualized Program) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada July 2018 ©Rana Taher, 2018 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Rana Taher Entitled: The Souk-The Story of Lebanon: Marketplace, People and Institutions and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Special Individualized Program) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final examining committee: Chair Dr. Charles Reiss External Examiner Dr. Najib Hourani External to Program Dr. Homa Hoodfar Examiner Dr. Warren Linds Examiner Dr. Marguerite Mendell Thesis Supervisor Dr. Ikesa Satoshi Approved by Dr. Rachel Berger, Graduate Program Director Monday, September 17, 2018 Dr. Paula Wood-Adams, Dean School of Graduate Studies Abstract The Souk—The Story of South Lebanon: Marketplace, People, and Institutions Rana Taher, Ph.D. Concordia University, 2018 The purpose of the study is to understand the dynamic and relationship between market and society in South Lebanon by focusing on how rural weekly markets in South Lebanon are embedded within social, political, and economic relations. The study presents an ethnographic journey through the weekly markets in South Lebanon. It looks at two case examples of weekly markets: Monday Market in Nabatieh (Souk Tanein in Nabatieh) and Thursday Market in Bint Jbeil (Souk Khameis in Bint Jbeil), as well as draws on examples of other weekly markets in South Lebanon. The findings demonstrate that rural weekly markets in South Lebanon are not autonomous, but subordinate to social, political, and economic relations that have played a significant role in their existence and persistence over time. History, geography, social relations, political leadership, policy, and power play a critical role in their formation, growth, and sustainability. Their sustained existence over time is further driven by social and cultural factors such as norms, values, and practices found within the marketplace; this perception is found among sociologists and political economists, and is shared by local municipal leaders, vendors, and people who see these markets as economically inconsequential, but socially and culturally significant. Continuous existence of these weekly markets cannot be explained using classical economic theory, nor can they be analyzed using a single sociopolitical theory on markets. Instead, the historical, geographical, social, political, and cultural factors interact in a critical manner in their evolution and sustained existence over time. Keywords: Souk, market, marketplace, weekly markets, periodic market, embedded, South Lebanon, Souk Nabatieh, Souk Bint Jbeil. iii Acknowledgments This dissertation would not have been possible without the love, support, patience and encouragement I received from my husband, family, co-workers, and professors. I do not have words to adequately describe my deep gratitude for all they have provided me. I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to Ms. Rima Bazzi and Ms. Yola Kanbar for facilitating my work in the communities of Bint Jbeil and Nabatieh in South Lebanon. I am fortunante to have met so many wonderful people who received me with warmth, kindness and grace and who were willing to share their stories and answer my questions. This includes, but not limited to Mr. Hussein Jaafar, Mr. Naji Mroueh, Mr. Rashad Saad, Dr. Abbas Wehbeh, Mr. Kamel Jaber, Mr. Khalil Rizk and many others. I would like to thank members of my PhD Committee including Dr. Satoshi Ikeda, Dr. Marguerite Mendell, Dr. Warren Linds. Their guidance has encouraged and challenged me to think and reflect critically. I would like to also express my appreciation to Dr. Michael Swack and Professor David Miller, whose advice and vision have impacted my life and shaped my academic journey over the years. I also want to thank Ms. Darlene Dubiel, Ms. Mary Appezzato and Mr. Raja Bhattacharya from the SIP and theisis office for their continuous support and patience over the years. Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Marwan Tahtah, Mr. Wael Ladiki, Mr. Mohamad Zayat, and Mr. Ali Mazraani, and Mr. Ali Bazzi for sharing photos of the markets from their personal archieve; Mr. Wassim Kataerji who helped me generate original GIS maps on the distribution of the weekly markets. Thank you for Anthony Rahayel, founder of No Garlic No Onion Lebanon food blog and co-creater of Lebanon’s street-food market Souk El Akel, for authorizing the use of his youtube footage on Nabatieh in a short-documentary created on weekly markets in South Lebanon. Special thanks for Ms. Yara Ajami, who helped me put together a short documentary on the weekly markets in Lebanon. iv Dedication This is dedicated to my family. To my parents, who taught me that life is about hard work and perseverance. To Nasser, my husband, life companion, and best friend, without whom this work would have never seen light. To Rida and Adam, whose smiles helped me bear the burden of this long journey: You are the best thing that I could ever accomplish in my life. With your innocent wisdom, you have taught me patience, forgiveness, and humbleness. I hope you never, ever give up on your dreams. May the pursuit of knowledge and change be your lifetime mission. v Table of Contents List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................... ix Note on Photographs and Videos ................................................................................................ xvii CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 The Market Scene in South Lebanon .......................................................................................... 1 Snapshot of Lebanon ................................................................................................................. 10 Weekly Market Evolution Across History ................................................................................ 14 Research Approach and Rationale ............................................................................................ 28 Organization of the Chapters..................................................................................................... 30 CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................... 32 Classical Economic Perspective on Markets ............................................................................. 33 Sociopolitical Perspective on Markets ...................................................................................... 35 Ethnographic Perspective of Markets ....................................................................................... 53 Markets in Between ................................................................................................................... 55 CHAPTER 3 - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ......................................................................... 58 Research Purpose and Thesis Statement ................................................................................... 58 Research Design ........................................................................................................................ 58 Case Study ................................................................................................................................ 59 Sampling ................................................................................................................................ 60 Data Collection and Analysis .................................................................................................... 62 Construct Measures ............................................................................................................... 62 Data Collection ...................................................................................................................... 63 Stages of Data Collection ...................................................................................................... 64 Data Preparation and Analysis .............................................................................................. 64 Data Writing and Presentation ............................................................................................... 65 Instruments and Interview Protocol .......................................................................................... 66 Research Procedure ................................................................................................................... 66 Validity and Reliability ............................................................................................................. 67 Research Limitations ................................................................................................................. 69 vi Ethical Considerations..............................................................................................................