ARC Memory, Nostalgia and Imagination in the Suburbs of Beirut

Code: ARC1047-1

Lead teacher-researcher

Michael F. Davie, PhD
michael.davie@alba.edu.lb

Start date: September 2026

Introduction

The city of Beirut has very often been analysed through approximations and through assumptions never supported by precise fieldwork observations.

The theoretical framework

The suburbs of any city are places of both integration and the display of differences. The usual reading of the social sciences posits that integration leads to a gradual erasure of differences, producing, in fine, beings who are similar in their behaviour, their outward appearance and their attitudes towards power – urbanity. In fact, suburbs are provisional places where identities are preserved, identities that blend over time as people mix and meet in this space on the margins of centrality. The original religious, political, national and socio-cultural identities of populations, often from rural backgrounds, are variables that endure while changing imperceptibly, despite this blending. These old and new identities are expressed in the urban landscape through architecture and through linguistic, culinary, clothing and ritual habits.

This theoretical framework, developed in the West but exported to Beirut, allows a few nuances to be introduced: Lebanon is an interesting – though not unique – case of the arrival of populations from different horizons who most often end up in the suburbs. While religion is central to the identity, assumed or imposed, of the Lebanese, other variables are just as central. It is therefore natural that all dimensions (socio-economic, nationality, etc.) are instrumentalised in daily life, in both private and public space. There is no question of hiding or denying this belonging: it is visible at the scale of bodies (clothing, jewellery), of buildings and above all their entrances, on balconies, in expressions of the vernacular language, etc. The suburb would therefore be the place where identities are asserted (the media and folklore often take up this idea), while nuancing it, given the very great differences, whether confessional, ethnic or national (Armenians, Syrians, Kurds, nomads, Assyrians, Palestinians, but also Lebanese from all over the national periphery, etc.). At the same time, the Beirut suburb fits the theoretical doxa of the place of integration, the anthropological “stepping-stone” of entry into the city that opens onto “social mobility”.

Practical framework

The suburbs of Beirut (such as Sin el-Fil and Dekwané) offer the researcher a very rich field of investigation. The aim is to explore how the populations who have settled there express these identities, displayed or hidden, taking the past into account. They will often say “it was better before”, and will explain, through sketches and diagrams (“mental maps”), what life was like before the arrival of the “others”, whoever they may be.

All disciplines are invited to take part in this research: architecture, which will study the building methods of the original inhabitants, then those of the various newcomers (those of the 1950s, those of the 1975-1990 war, those of the 2000s…); film, which can capture frames, objects, attitudes and dialogues that document views towards the past, the present and the future; design, which can analyse objects, their history, production techniques and the blending of these influences; urban planners, who will bring their perspective on the laws and regulations that have shaped the suburbs; interior architecture, which will bring its skills to grasp the changes in volume or materials in homes and shops, creating particular landscapes; graphic arts and photography, which can capture moments, gestures and attitudes that refer to these nostalgias, attitudes or words.

Data will be collected through fieldwork surveys, possibly combined with GPS geolocation (an application available on all mobile phones). Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of mental maps and their comparison with old maps or contemporary satellite images (Google Earth). The survey itself (which will be built collectively) will include questions involving all disciplines: the information will later be made available to the public via the ALBA website.

The information collected may then feed the database of a GIS software package, linked to digitised maps of the suburban sector or sectors surveyed. The municipal areas of Dekwané and Sin el-Fil may serve as the framework for the survey. The choice of other areas is to be negotiated according to the time available and the number of students.

No discipline can have a monopoly on explaining a phenomenon as complex as the production of suburban space.

Research hypothesis

The suburbs of Beirut, as everywhere in the world, carry a negative connotation. They are seen as peripheral, amorphous, dystopian and dangerous spaces, socially and culturally poor, and therefore of no real interest. They are spaces that people pass through without really knowing them, when they define themselves as “truly urban”, frequenting or living in the central spaces of large cities.

The inhabitants of these suburbs, coming from elsewhere, would supposedly have no real history rooted in these places; their hearts would supposedly be elsewhere, they would have no loyalty to “the city”, and would express a certain contempt for the “real” inhabitants of “the city”.

These clichés do not withstand observation and analysis. Admittedly, suburbs such as Sin el-Fil and Dekwané are mostly populated by inhabitants who came through the rural exodus, economic migration or displacement caused by the Lebanese wars. The choice of these areas was conditioned by the cost of housing compared with that in the capital, by job opportunities, or by the choice to settle close to newcomers from earlier waves of migration. Very little has been written about these mechanisms in the Lebanese case.

The proposed research hypothesis is that the inhabitants have a memory of these places that received them, different from that of their places of origin. This memory changes over time, especially when the suburb itself changes rapidly with the urbanisation of agricultural land, with the replacement of older buildings by taller and denser complexes, or when former functions are replaced by new ones. This memory is coupled with a nostalgia for times past, which can be recorded in mental maps drawn by the interviewees. These documents say more about the person themselves than about the space represented, but they make it possible to locate the places that are meaningful in the individual or collective imagination.

The time frame will be the 1940s to the 2020s, i.e. 80 years of the history of the Beirut metropolis. The different phases of the war will no doubt be over-represented in the surveys (the battle of Tall ez-Zaatar in 1976, the influx of refugees from the Chouf in 1983, the effects of the endless economic crisis, etc.); the new populations will no doubt be mentioned in the collective imagination (Sri Lankan and Filipino women, but also the various Syrians, refugees from different regions depending on the phases of the civil war, and even Lebanese from the South, displaced during the wars with Israel). But for the oldest inhabitants, mental maps will no doubt point to other urban landscapes.

Added to these hypotheses, the question of nostalgia is important: any sense of belonging is built around memory. “It was better before” is a frequently heard leitmotif, and the research will make the link between the perception of the past and these forms of saudade.

The multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach will support the idea that the suburbs of Beirut are not just ghettos, but bring together populations of different origins, each marking space in its own way, each remembering particular pasts. Finally, the notion of cosmopolitanism will be brought into play: Beirut is no different from other cities that encourage or silence memories and nostalgias.

Description

The aim is first to survey, then to map, sectors of the Beirut suburbs in order to grasp the spatial changes that have affected them, but above all to give a voice to the inhabitants of these sectors who have lost their spatial landmarks as well as their former solidarity networks, over a period of 80 years in the history of the capital’s suburbs.

The purpose of this research is to produce a series of maps, some formal and some mental, showing the evolution of formerly rural sectors and their transformation into urbanised sectors. The question of nostalgia will therefore be central: the memory of places and the loss of supposed local identities produce a discourse around “it was better before”. This constant return to the past drives positions taken on the origin of the different waves of inhabitants, regarding their religion, their nationality or their social status, judged “different” from the “original” inhabitants.

The construction of identities and the feelings of integration and exclusion have not been explored for Sin el-Fil and Dekwané. Exploring these themes will make it possible, on the one hand, to position ALBA scientifically in the field of knowledge of urban spaces and, on the other, to bring a critical perspective to the dynamics through which the Beirut suburbs have formed.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this ARC, the student will be able to:

1. Identify and interpret the main concepts and theories related to the place of feelings of belonging in structuring both the space and the society of the inner suburbs of Beirut.
2. Critically interpret relevant works and documents. He or she will be able to interpret the different “layers” of the construction of the identity of the inhabitants of these rapidly changing suburbs.
3. Assess the different perspectives and approaches related to the research field. Whatever their original discipline, the student will engage with the different sociological, anthropological, geographical and historical schools used to address the question of urban formation and its divides in a very dynamic metropolis of the Middle East.
4. Analyse complex issues related to the subject. He or she will be able to put complex multidisciplinary thinking to work and understand the value of working in a team. He or she will integrate approaches as diverse as mapping, film and art history (for example) to analyse and discuss a question of interest to his or her original field of study.
5. Solve practical problems by applying the knowledge acquired during the ARC. The student will have acquired the basics of digitising maps, creating databases, fieldwork survey techniques, information processing, and presenting results in a concise and original form.
6. Design innovative and creative solutions by integrating the concepts acquired. The student will be able to bring cutting-edge scientific approaches to bear on analyses of a city that has so far been little known to the international research community.
7. Plan and organise projects using the skills acquired. The student will necessarily work in a multidisciplinary team, comparing his or her disciplinary approaches with those of others to negotiate methodological compromises, or to explore new paths different from those usually offered by his or her original discipline.
8. Carry out practical work demonstrating mastery of the skills acquired.
9. Produce high-quality reports or presentations, using clear communication. The student will contribute to writing an academic article to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.
10. Apply the skills acquired in professional contexts relevant to the research field. The student will easily be able to reuse these skills in any teamwork, in his or her own discipline or within larger teams working on larger-scale projects.

Methodology

Teaching will take the form of exchanges, sharing of fieldwork experiences, and pooling of ideas and methods. This training in research will require a few sessions to frame the definitions and expectations of the fieldwork, with all students working through brainstorming and constantly questioning the usual a priori assumptions about the Beirut suburbs.

The theoretical framework

The suburbs of any city are places of both integration and the display of differences. The usual reading of the social sciences posits that integration leads to a gradual erasure of differences, producing, in fine, beings who are similar in their behaviour, their outward appearance and their attitudes towards power – urbanity. In fact, suburbs are provisional places where identities are preserved, identities that blend over time as people mix and meet in this space on the margins of centrality. The original religious, political, national and socio-cultural identities of populations, often from rural backgrounds, are variables that endure while changing imperceptibly, despite blending with other cultures. These old and new identities are expressed in the urban landscape through architecture and through linguistic, culinary, clothing and ritual habits.

This theoretical framework, developed in the West but exported to Beirut, allows a few nuances to be introduced: Lebanese cities are an interesting – though not unique – case of the arrival of populations from different horizons who end up in the suburbs. While religion is central to identity, assumed or imposed, other variables are just as operative. It is therefore natural that all dimensions (socio-economic, nationality, ethnicity, etc.) are instrumentalised in daily life, in both private and public space. There is no question of hiding or denying this belonging: it is visible at the scale of bodies (clothing, jewellery), of buildings and above all their entrances, on balconies, in expressions of the vernacular language, etc. The suburb would therefore be the place where identities are asserted (the media and folklore often take up this idea), while nuancing it, given the very great differences, whether confessional, ethnic or national (Armenians, Syrians, Kurds, nomads, Assyrians, Palestinians, but also Lebanese from all over the national periphery, etc.). At the same time, the Beirut suburb fits the theoretical doxa of the place of integration, the anthropological “stepping-stone” of entry into the city that opens onto “social mobility”.

The practical framework

The suburbs of Beirut (such as Sin el-Fil and Dekwané) offer the researcher a very rich field of investigation. The aim is to explore how the populations who have settled there express these identities, displayed or hidden, taking the past into account. They will often say “it was better before”, and will explain, through sketches and diagrams (“mental maps”), what life was like before the arrival of the “others”, whoever they may be.

All disciplines are invited to take part in this research: architecture, which will study the building methods of the original inhabitants, then those of the various newcomers (those of the 1950s, those of the 1975-1990 war, those of the 2000s…); film, which can capture frames, objects, attitudes and dialogues that document views towards the past, the present and the future; design, which can analyse objects, their history, production techniques and the blending of these influences; urban planners, who will bring their perspective on the laws and regulations that have shaped the suburbs; interior architecture, which will bring its skills to grasp the changes in volume or materials in homes and shops, creating particular landscapes; graphic arts and photography, which can capture moments, gestures and attitudes that refer to these nostalgias, attitudes or words. No discipline can have a monopoly on explaining a phenomenon as complex as the production of suburban space.

Data will be collected through fieldwork surveys, possibly combined with GPS geolocation (an application available on all mobile phones). Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of mental maps and their comparison with old maps or contemporary satellite images (Google Earth). The survey itself (which will be built collectively) will include questions involving all disciplines: the information will later be made available to the public via the ALBA website.

The information collected may then feed the database of a GIS software package, linked to digitised maps of the suburban sector or sectors surveyed. The municipal areas of Dekwané and Sin el-Fil will initially serve as the framework for the survey. The choice of other areas is to be negotiated according to the time available and the number of students.

Assessment

The achievement of the educational objectives will be assessed through presentations or short written reports (5 pages maximum), to be presented during the semesters on dates set in advance.

A scientific article written by each student to international standards will constitute the assessment document for the research.

References

Useful titles offering thematic or methodological insight

• Berque, Augustin. « Perception de l’espace, ou milieu perceptif ? » L’Espace géographique 45, n^o 2 (2016): 168‑81.
• Bonnefoy, Barbara, et Valérie Triquet. « Les odeurs de la ville ». Villes en parallèle 28, n^o 1 (1999): 124‑39. https://doi.org/10.3406/vilpa.1999.1276.
• Cresswell, Tim. Place: an introduction. Second edition. Wiley, Blackwell, 2015.
• Dupuy, Lionel. L’imaginaire géographique. Essai de géographie littéraire. Spatialités S. Presses de l’Université de Pau et des pays de l’Adour, 2018.
• Hayek, Ghenwa. Beirut, imagining the city: space and place in Lebanese literature. I.B. Tauris, 2015.
• Nasr, Joseph, Nicole Saliba-Chalhoub, et Chris Younès. Beyrouth : signes, symboles, mémoire(s) d’une métamorphose. Actes du colloque 24, 25 et 26 novembre 2016. Collège Doctoral 5. Presses de l’Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik, 2017.
• Paulet, J. P. Les représentations mentales en géographie. Anthropos, 2002.
• Pichon, Matthieu. « Espace vécu, perceptions, cartes mentales : l’émergence d’un intérêt pour les représentations symboliques dans la géographie française (1966-1985) ». Bulletin de l’Association de géographes français 92, n^o 1 (2015): 95‑110. https://doi.org/10.4000/bagf.502.
• Popescu, Carmen. « Space, time: identity ». National Identities 8, n^o 5 (2006): 189‑206.
• Rabbath, Georges. « Beyrouth : perception cognitive de l’espace religieux ». In Espaces religieux du Liban, vol. 1, édité par Grace Homsy-Gottwalles. Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth, 2008.
• Saliba, Robert. « The Mental Image of Downtown Beirut ». In Beyrouth, regards croisés, édité par M. F. Davie. UMR 6592 « URBAMA », 1997.
• Saliba, Robert. Morphological Investigation of Downtown Beirut. Towards an urban design framework. American University of Beirut, 1991.

Materials required by the student

A computer able to digitise maps (as needed), or to fill in a database (FileMaker Pro, Excel) to record the survey data.

Action plan

1. Preparation of standardised base maps and survey forms
2. Fieldwork survey or collection of iconographic information
3. Information processing and extraction of results
4. Analysis of results, summary mapping
5. Presentation of results in a public session or seminar
6. Writing of analysis reports and article(s)

Schedule

Session 1

• Review and screening of existing references, with an emphasis on relevant interdisciplinary work.
• Formulation of interdisciplinary research questions. Drafting of the problem statement.
• Establishing the problem statement in the context of interdisciplinarity.
• Justification of the field of study
• Number of hours: 3 hours
• Independent work: 8 hours

Session 2

• Refinement of the research questions, exploring the connections between the different disciplines.
• Review of the principles of Geographic Information Systems, refresher.
• Number of hours: 3 hours
• Independent work: 8 hours

Sessions 3 and 4

• Data collection: fieldwork interviews, site reconnaissance, recording of observations, pooling.
• Number of hours: 3 hours per session
• Independent work: 8 hours per session

Sessions 5 and 6

• Preliminary analysis of the data collected after entry into the database, and production of base maps.
• Interpretation of the results in relation to the research hypothesis, taking into account the contributions of the different disciplines involved; reassessment of the directions given to the research.
• First multidisciplinary consolidation of the results and identification of possible disciplinary work, with a timetable.
• Mid-term review
• Number of hours: 3 hours per session
• Independent work: 8 hours per session

Sessions 7 and 8

• Presentation of each student’s research and/or creation project.
• Comparison with theory, questioning of methodologies and results; joint development of a new theory.
• Number of hours: 3 hours per session
• Independent work: 8 hours per session

Sessions 9 and 10

• Finalisation of the research project: revision, editing and preparation for presentation or publication, highlighting the contributions of interdisciplinarity to theoretical research and practical creation.
• Writing the conclusion of the research project, highlighting the interdisciplinary findings and practical recommendations for supporting artistic interdisciplinarity.
• Final submission
• Number of hours: 3 hours per session
• Independent work: 8 hours per session

Group size

• Fewer than 20 students

Language of instruction

French (and English, if needed)

Other details

It would be advisable to give prior thought to archiving all the documents stored in the database in order to guarantee free access later on. Future researchers will thus be able to draw on this documentary source when writing scientific articles or continuing this research. The ALBA Archives Centre is ideally suited to this task.

Semesters

• 2026-2027. Semester 1Course sheet – 2026-2027. Semester 1 (PDF, 125 KB)