The Bourdieusian Theory in Postcolonial Societies; Lebanon As a Case Study

This paper stems from my dissertation project, which examines the current state of the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music (LNHCM) by reconstructing its socio-historical development. Based on fieldwork, I analyse the musical education field by critically using the Bourdieusian theory, as well as a postcolonial framework.

My work challenges knowledge production which is based on widely used categories in political and cultural fields such as “MENA-country” and “Global South”. By offering a socio-historical perspective, I question the Western-centric viewpoints behind these classifications, which often exacerbate an objective lack of knowledge about some non-western societies, such as the Lebanese society.

In the first part of my paper, I will critically apply Bourdieusian concepts- field, habitus and capital- to my analysis, grounded in my fieldwork. My methods include qualitative interviews with agents holding different positions in the field of musical education in Lebanon, complemented by anthropological observations. These observations are informed by my thirteen years of piano training at the Lebanese conservatory. The second part of the paper outlines my postcolonial framework, which builds on the Bourdieusian scientific legacy on the sociology of Algeria, as well as the works of Jacques Berque, Maxim Rodinson and Edward Said on the Arab/West Othering.

By the end of the paper, I will have shown that a field of musical education in Lebanon can be identified, but that it differs significantly from cultural fields in Western societies. I will have also articulated theoretical connections between the Bourdieusian theory and postcolonial theory, with the aim of contributing to a postcolonial Bourdieusian theory.