BEACH LEISURE LIFESTYLES AND MOBILITIES ALONG LEBANESE SHORES Unveiling Complexities, Particularities and Intricacies Jihane Adeimi A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Edinburgh Napier University, for the award of Doctor of Philosophy August 2020 AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I Jihane Adeimi hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis and that this work has not been submitted for any other academic degree or professional qualification. Jihane Adeimi i ABSTRACT This research explores the differentiated beach leisure lifestyles and mobilities of local beach goers in Lebanon belonging to different ethno-religious communities. Following the interpretivist/constructivist paradigm, this study is the first of its kind to primarily examine the complex synergy between gender, race, lifestyle, power relations, mental constructions and beach geographies, exposing the various forces at play behind the beach leisure dynamics in Lebanon. Beach leisure is rediscovered from the point of view of ‘what is escaped’, ‘what is avoided’, ‘what is hidden’, ‘what is overlooked’, ‘what is silenced’, bringing to the fore a different perspective and a less known, quite ‘darker’, side of beach leisure in Lebanon. In terms of research design, a case study approach has been adopted, using two qualitative research methods, namely in-depth interviews and participant observation (personal accounts), with the aim to report various ‘voices’ on the ground as well as personally experience local beaches with an autoethnographic lens. Research findings have revealed a hybrid and liquid seaside, made up of racialised, gendered, sexualised, politicised, ‘religioused’, classed and lifestylised Lebanese beaches. These findings shed light on how these beaches and practices are being represented, experienced, performed, navigated and negotiated by locals and how these complex beach leisure dynamics are reflecting the complexities and particularities of Lebanese society and the contradictions found within it. It is concluded that understanding these beach leisure dynamics can, possibly, push us to restructure some of our mental constructions, reconsider our own perceptions, question our taken-for-granted knowledge, as well as redefining our understanding of ‘Lebaneseness’. Key Words: Beaches; Beach leisure; Lifestyle; Mobilities; Practices, Identity; Imagined geographies; Lebaneseness ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A PhD journey feels like a boat voyage in the time of ocean explorers, travelling from a known destination to an unknown one, despite waves, icebergs, storms and pirates. With me being the captain, I relied on maps, books, stars, deep knowledge, intuition, faith and a team, including supervisors, family, friends and more, who provided much needed assistance, whether emotional, financial, material or logistical, and without which I would have most likely gotten lost in the middle of the ocean. A strong support system was key in making my PhD journey a successful one. All the ‘You can do it Jihane’, ‘Keep focusing on your PhD’, ‘You are nearly there’, ‘We are here for you’, ‘Do not give up’, ‘Do not worry’, ‘You have cracked it now’ and the like, are still resonating in my head; as simple as they may sound, these touching words have kept me motivated throughout my long and quite challenging PhD journey in good times and bad times. This page is for all the ones in the forefront and behind the scenes without whom I wouldn’t have reached the stage of writing these sincere acknowledgments now. Above everything else, I am deeply grateful to my Lord who has granted me the brain, abilities, health and willpower to accomplish this doctoral research. My greatest and deepest appreciation goes to Prof. Paul Lynch and Dr. Ahmed Hassanien (current supervisory team) as well as Prof. Kevin Hannam and Dr. Ian Lamond (former supervisory team) who have offered me tremendous help and provided me with much knowledge, wise guidance and constant support which kept me on the right path. Their patience, understanding and valuable supervision is much appreciated; I can’t count the number of times I felt blessed and lucky for having them as part of my supervisory team. More than being simple supervisors, they were career mentors, life coaches, from whom I learnt a lot, both at personal and professional levels. Working with all of you was a real delight. After five years of enriching and intense interactions with you, I came out of this journey feeling different, iii stronger, wiser, and I thank you for your positive impact on my life which will always be remembered. A precious and affectionate thank you to my loving family, my ‘rock’, who have always stood by my side through thick and thin. Your greatest love and support have been an unlimited source of energy and strength, which was much needed during this journey. Your words of encouragement have always put a smile on my face when going through moments of doubts and helped me overcome difficulties by always believing in me and repeating again and again this inspirational saying I shall forever live by: “Where there is a will, there is a way”. To my beloved father Joseph I say, no words could express my gratitude for your tremendous financial support without which I would not have been able to pursue my doctoral studies. Thank you for investing and believing in me. You knew I could make it…and I made it. I shall forever make you proud. I would like to extend my gratefulness to all the participants who took part in this study by sharing their stories, opinions, lived experiences and feelings with me, without which this research would have never seen the light. A big thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your trust and time. My warm thanks also go out to all my dear friends who knew how to share my joyful moments, soothe my pain and reduce my stress, who were always available when needed, who lent a listening ear and who never stopped encouraging me. David Judson, having you in my life was such a blessing and your loss a painful memory. Thank you for being there for me, for considering me as your ‘daughter’ in the UK when I was away from my family all through my PhD years. Your loving smile and wise words will never leave my mind. May your soul rest in peace. iv And last, but not least, I would like to acknowledge all those who have entered my life and have had a positive impact on me, whether knowingly or unknowingly, making me the woman I have become today. These people include school teachers, university lecturers, employers, students, conference speakers, writers, and many more. You have all been an inspiration to me. v In loving memory of Michel Adeimi (1935 – 2019), my grandfather, who would have loved to share my joy of finishing my PhD but who, I hope, is proud of his granddaughter from where he is now. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Author’s declaration.................................................................................................................... i Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... ii Aknowledgments ..................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. x List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... xi Chapter One – Introduction: Setting the Scene .................................................................... 1 1.1 Me, Myself and my Research .............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Defining the Research Topic ............................................................................................... 4 1.3 Case Study: Lebanon, a Mosaic of Communities, Identities and Lifestyles ..................... 10 1.4 Thesis Structure ................................................................................................................. 13 Chapter Two – Bodies, (Im)Mobilities, Performativities and Beach Leisure Practices .. 14 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 14 2.2 Body, Embodiment and Bodily Image............................................................................... 15 2.3 (Im)Mobilities and Performativities .................................................................................. 29 2.4 Performing Beach Leisure ................................................................................................. 42 2.5 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 55 Chapter Three – Hybrid Lifestyles and Beach Leisure Practices in the Arab World .... 56 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 56 3.2 Understanding Arabs and their Leisure Lifestyles............................................................. 57 3.3 Performing Beach Leisure on Arab Shores: Beyond ‘Sea, Sun and Sand’ Pleasures ....... 73 3.4 Enjoying the Beach with an Islamic Ethos ........................................................................ 82 3.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................