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Lebanon Table of Contents

Lebanon

STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY

The reversion to traditional values in the 1980s affected the dress of many Shia women
Courtesy As'ad AbuKhalil

In 1987, Lebanese society was riddled with deep social, economic, political, and sectarian divisions. Individual Lebanese were primarily identified with their family as the principal object of their loyalty and the basis of marriage and social relationships as well as the confessional system. This, in turn, tended to clash with national integration and cohesion. Society was divided not only into diverse sectarian communities but also into socioeconomic strata that cut across confessional lines.

Data as of December 1987