Understanding Socio-Economic and Political Mobility of Naturalized Kurds in Lebanon

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation , 2012 , 293 Pages

Politics - Region: Near East, Near Orient

In this thesis, I examine and compare the Socioeconomic Status and the Subjective Social Status of the naturalized at the time of naturalization and 15 years after in order to explore how, notwithstanding other factors, the naturalized perceive their situation pre and post-naturalization. I analyze the strength of the association between citizenship acquisition/naturalization and socioeconomic mobility and political participation through Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Subjective Social Status (SSS) among 164 Kurds who were naturalized Lebanese by the Presidential Decree 5247/1994 of June 20, 1994. I also examine their political participation through voting and political partisanship in order to test the theory whether their political engagement at the beginning of the process shifted downward to a state of political apathy in the years since their naturalization, and whether there is a significant gap between them and the native-born in voting turnout.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• ACKNOWLEDGMENT
• AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHY
• ABSTRACT
• CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION
• CHAPTER II – CHARTING THE TERRITORY
  • 1. Theoretical Framework
    • 1.1 Acquisition of Citizenship/Naturalization
    • 1.2 Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Subjective Social Status
    • 1.3 Political Participation
    • 1.4 Research Questions
• CHAPTER III - CONTEXTUALIZING THE KURDS' CITIZENSHIP IN LEBANON
  • 1. Naturalizing Foreigners into Nationals
    • 1.1 The Basis of the Lebanese Nationality Law
    • 1.2 The First Lebanese Nationality Law
    • 1.3 Statelessness in Lebanon
    • 1.4 The Naturalization Decree # 5247
  • 2. The Kurds' Migration to Lebanon
    • 2.1 Lebanon's Historical Context
    • 2.2 Who are the Kurds?
    • 2.3 The Kurds' Population and Settlement in Lebanon
    • 2.4 Composition of the Kurds of Lebanon
• CHAPTER IV – RESEARCH DESIGN
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Methods
    • 2.1 Sampling through Snowball Technique
    • 2.2 Questionnaire
    • 2.3 Interviews
  • 3. Data Management
    • 3.1 Quantitative

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation aims to investigate the socio-economic and political mobility of naturalized Kurds in Lebanon, exploring their experiences within the Lebanese society. The study focuses on understanding the impact of citizenship acquisition on their social integration, economic opportunities, and political participation.

• The process and challenges of naturalization for Kurds in Lebanon
• The socio-economic status and social integration of naturalized Kurds
• The political participation and representation of naturalized Kurds
• The impact of historical and political context on the Kurds' experiences
• The role of cultural and linguistic identity in shaping their mobility.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction provides a comprehensive overview of the research topic and its significance, outlining the objectives and theoretical framework of the study. Chapter II delves into the theoretical concepts that underpin the research, including the acquisition of citizenship, socio-economic status, and political participation. It further clarifies the research questions that will be explored throughout the dissertation.

Chapter III contextualizes the Kurds' citizenship in Lebanon by examining the historical and political factors that shaped their migration and integration. It analyzes the Lebanese nationality law and its impact on the naturalization process, exploring the specific challenges faced by Kurds. Chapter IV presents the research design and methodology, detailing the data collection techniques, sampling strategies, and data management procedures employed in the study.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key terms and concepts explored in this dissertation include: naturalization, citizenship, Kurds, Lebanon, socio-economic status, political participation, social integration, migration, identity, nationality law, historical context, and data analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main focus of this thesis?

The thesis examines the socio-economic and political mobility of Kurds in Lebanon who were naturalized by the Presidential Decree of 1994.

What was Presidential Decree 5247/1994?

It was a significant decree issued on June 20, 1994, which granted Lebanese citizenship to a large number of previously stateless Kurds and other foreigners.

How did the research measure social mobility?

The study compared the Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Subjective Social Status (SSS) of 164 individuals at the time of naturalization versus 15 years later.

What were the findings regarding political participation?

The research tested whether initial political engagement shifted toward apathy over time and compared voting turnout between naturalized Kurds and native-born Lebanese.

What methodology was used in this dissertation?

The study employed a research design involving the snowball sampling technique, questionnaires, and interviews with naturalized individuals.

• College: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
• Author: Guita Hourani (Author)
• Publication Year: 2012
• Pages: 293
• Catalog Number: V389063
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668679863
• ISBN (Book): 9783668679870
• Language: English
• Tags: Politics, Kurds, Mobility, Lebanon, Naturalization, Immigrants, Statelessness, Voting Behavior, Sunni Islam, Socioeconomic Mobility, Political Participation