Volume: 3  Number: 2  Page: 114–134  doi:10.1080/17447140802249242

Discourse and Multicultural Social Activity in Postwar Lebanon

Rima Bahous1 and Roseanne Saad Khalaf2 1Lebanese American University, Education, Beirut, Lebanon and 2American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

Some multilingual/multicultural research has debated whether people from diverse backgrounds can go beyond their differences and communicate openly about issues that seem to divide them, and, remain ‘friends’. To explore this debate, a reflexive ethnography study was conducted examining the impact of bi-weekly physical fitness classes on the lives of female participants. The research focuses on communicative benefits obtained through class discourse while participants engage in regular exercises. Classes include multilingual women of different age, religion, socioeconomic status and education. Through interviews and close observation, findings reveal that sessions serve as a ‘contact zone’ where ideas are expressed and debated. They provide a ‘safety net’ where trust, cooperation, advice, consolation and assistance are readily available. Lively multilingual exchanges increase awareness and understanding as participants influence and are influenced by engagement in open and critical conversations over an extended period of time. Although results cannot be generalised, the researchers conclude that there is a possibility of ongoing discourse outside the public gaze which creates a close bond among participants, allowing them to be more accepting of the ‘Other’. The study's implications are significant in highlighting how multicultural/multilingual individuals in Lebanon can transcend differences and learn to coexist peacefully in pluralistic societies.

Keywords: tolerance, diversity, discourse

© 2008 Taylor & Francis

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