Ethnicity and Values among the Lebanese Public: Findings from Avalues Survey

In the spring of 2008, Mansoor Moaddel, in collaboration with researchers in Lebanon— Hilal Khashan, Political Science Professor of American University in Beirut, Johan Gärde from Ersta Sköndal University College/Sweden, and Jean Kors of the International Center for Organizational Development, Beirut, Lebanon—launched the first world values survey in Lebanon. The objective of this project was to understand the mass-level belief systems of the Lebanese public. The project was designed to provide a comprehensive measure of all major areas of human concerns from religion to politics, economics, culture, family, and inter-ethnic and international relations. This survey used a nationally representative sample of 3,039 adults from all sections of Lebanese society. The sample included 954 (31%) Shi’is, 753 (25%) Sunnis, 198 (7%) Druze, 599 (20%) Maronites, 338 (11%) Orthodox, 149 (5%) Catholics, and 48 (2%) respondents belonging to other religions. It covered all six governorates in proportion to size— 960 (32%) from Beirut, 578 (19%) from Mount Lebanon, 621 (20%) from the North, 339 (11%) from Biqqa, and 539 (18%) from the South and Nabatieth. The interviews took approximately 50 minutes to complete and were conducted face-to-face by Lebanese personnel in the respondents’ residences. The total number of completed interviews represented 86% of attempted observations. Data collection started in April 2008 and was completed at the end of September 2008. Turbulent political and security situation in Lebanon in the spring and summer prolonged the survey period. The respondents had an average age of 33 years, 1,694 (55.7%) were male, and 998 (32.8%) had a college degree. In terms of class, 55 (1.8%) of the respondents described themselves as members of the upper class, 847 (27.9%) upper middle class, 788 (25.9%) lower middle class, 683 (22.5%) working class, and 522 (17.2%) lower class. Only 1,597 (52.6%) indicated that they had jobs. In this report, the respondents are divided into four major groups: Shi’is, Sunnis, Druze, and Christians (consisting of Maronites, Roman Catholic, and Greek Orthodox). The 48 respondents who had other religious affiliation are excluded from this report.