Doctoral Dissertation Research: Cooperation and Segementary Descent Groups in the Beq'aa Valley of Lebanon

博士论文研究：黎巴嫩贝卡谷地的合作与分段血统群体

• 批准号: 0514333
• 负责人: Lee Cronk
• 金额: $ 1.1万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-07-01 至 2006-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0514333&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Cooperation; Segementary

During the governmental void created by the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990), the segmentary descent groups of the Beq'aa gained power by providing their members with benefits such as physical security, financial assistance, medical services and job opportunities. This created group solidarity which made the groups stronger. Fourteen years after the civil war, the government is reclaiming power, but the descent groups of the Beq'aa continue to be almost as strong as before the war and still provide similar services to their members thus generating mutual benefit to individuals and loyalty to the group. Members express loyalty to their groups despite increasing opposition from community members and the possibly high costs involved in clan membership. This dissertation research project by a cultural anthropologist will study factors supporting the persistence of corporate descent groups, and compare them to factors promoting alternative institutions such as the local community. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, this project explores the dynamics of cooperative behavior, loyalty and solidarity in segmentary descent groups in the contemporary Middle East. The project will shed light on how such groups provide an alternative to the state by providing public goods usually provided by states (e.g., security) and on how such actions engender loyalty and motivate cooperation among group members.This project has broader impacts involving attempts at social reform, which are often driven mostly by force while lacking relevant local information. The research will expand Western knowledge of societies with strong segmentary descent groups and the loyalties these groups engender to gain power and sometimes to resist social change. Understanding the role descent plays in organizing the social structure and promoting cooperation will be helpful to planners and NGOs concerned with understanding local economic processes and economic development in these rural areas. The project also advances the education of a young social scientist.

在黎巴嫩内战（1975-1990年）造成的政府真空期间，Beqaa的世袭群体通过向其成员提供人身安全、财政援助、医疗服务和就业机会等福利而获得权力。这创造了群体团结，使群体更强大。内战结束14年后，政府正在收回权力，但贝卡的后裔群体仍然几乎与战前一样强大，仍然为其成员提供类似的服务，从而使个人互利并对群体忠诚。尽管社区成员的反对声越来越大，而且成为氏族成员的代价可能很高，但成员们仍表示忠于他们的团体。本论文的研究项目由文化人类学家将研究支持企业血统群体的持久性的因素，并将其与促进替代机构，如当地社区的因素进行比较。使用定量和定性的方法相结合，该项目探讨了合作行为的动态，忠诚和团结在当代中东的segendaresdescent群体。该项目将阐明这些团体如何通过提供通常由国家提供的公共产品（例如，该项目具有更广泛的影响，涉及社会改革的尝试，这些改革往往主要是由武力推动的，而缺乏相关的地方信息。这项研究将扩大西方社会的知识与强大的segmentedescent群体和忠诚这些群体产生获得权力，有时抵制社会变革。了解世系在组织社会结构和促进合作方面所起的作用，将有助于规划人员和非政府组织了解这些农村地区的地方经济进程和经济发展。该项目还促进了青年社会科学家的教育。