Religious, ancestral, and national identity: Political use and abuse in Lebanon

A rising critical factor of civil conflicts in pluralist societies is the link between cultural and political identities, specifically the use and abuse of cultural identity in political terms. This thesis attempts to demonstrate that a major factor in civil conflicts is the manipulation of cultural identity by dominant competing elites who battle for increased political, social, and economic power, as well as the achievement of superior ranking for their own cultural groups. Through examination of the civil war in Lebanon from 1975-1991, this thesis demonstrates that elites used religious identity, ancestral identity, and national identity as political tools in Lebanon to improve their status. In order to understand the relevance of cultural identity as a political tool, this thesis reviews multiple approaches combining both psychological factors and economic and political factors that influenced the conflict in Lebanon.