A plea for Arab Sociology. Lebanese university; Institution of Social science Research Center knowledge production.


Leila Hoballah, Lebanese University

The argument in this paper is intended to question the possibility of producing Arab sociology knowledge, based on Arabic cultural and historical specificities, that could play a dynamic role in the development of Arab society. Despite some Arab sociologists advocating for adapting Western sociological methodologies and concepts, the following question arises: Can an Arab sociology be established free from Western epistemological and methodological frameworks? Is there a school called Arab sociology or an Arab theory in the field of sociology? Arab scholars argue that Arab sociology lacks a comprehensive theory to study and explain the social phenomenon in the Arab societies. Many reasons hindered the development of social sciences in Arab academic field; first: social sciences have been perceived as part of the colonial hegemony of the west, second: the adoption of educational curriculum in social studies, that teach the western school of thought, third: the absence of what can be called academic freedom in the Arab authoritarian regime, fourth: many scholars who have approached the social issues in Arab societies have faced significant social resistance. Some Arab researchers in sociology have chosen to write in languages other than Arabic, distancing themselves from the social pressures in their societies. They have presented their studies through translation. While others question its legitimacy, believe that in order to produce Arab sociology, it is necessary to return to Islam. There has been a project in the Arab arena to establish a sociological science from an Islamic perspective, arguing that this science aims to develop a general and comprehensive theory to explain society. It asserts that Islam provides a comprehensive vision for society and life. They worked on refining the concepts of this science from an Islamic perspective within the context of "Islamic Sociology." Sociology in Arab universities carries two main characteristics that have been associated with it since its inception nearly a century ago: Dependency on Western schools in its curricula and theoretical tools, lack of a general purpose for this science among most of its practitioners, including professors, researchers, and academic institutions, and the alienation of social studies from its social environment. In this paper we will study the knowledge production and reproduction of the Institute of Social Science Research Center, at the Lebanese University, in the last 20 years, through discourse analysing for the topics that have been conducted by research papers, conferences, and seminars. The Institute and its research center have been founded since 1959, in Beirut, as part of the Lebanese university faculty of humanity studies. The center has published plenty of research papers, in social sciences, conducted seminars and conferences, collaborated with other academic institutions, and published a periodical magazine. The research methodology will include critical discourse analysis for the research topics, qualitative in-depth interviews, with the researchers at the center, to gather personal narratives, and reflections on the matter, and the administration of surveys and questionnaires to collect quantitative data, allowing for a broader understanding of trends and commonalities. This exploration aims to contribute valuable insights to further examine the concept of “Arab Sociology”, as knowledge production of sociological theories, that implement Arabic philosophy, using sociological tools, by Arab sociologist, in Arabic language, to study Arabic societies.  

This paper will be presented at the following session: