The report presents the results of the first phase of our collaborative ethnographic research project, which aims at documenting and analysing the crisis-ridden daily lives of residents in the city of Beirut, and how they individually and collectively negotiate, manage and resist the challenges of a city collapsing. The work was partially funded by Rosa Luxemburg-Stiftung, Beirut.

The research takes the building as the primary unit of analysis and in light of the recent (and ongoing) electricity crisis, focuses on the city’s building-level responses and the organising around it. Noting the impact that the intensification of the energy and financial crisis had on buildings in Beirut and the shared services that require electricity, we share learning on building committee membership, selection and motivation, and discuss how building committees function and negotiate fairness and justice when responding to their residents competing needs. We also explore prospects of collaborative organising and best practices that allow a move from individual or exclusionary solutions to collaborative ones. 

Read our report in English

The post Read our research report first appeared on Ebla Research Collective.

The building is the primary unit around which residents of Beirut organize collectively. It is literally and figuratively the space (a vertical space) in between the private (our homes, our personal spaces) and the public (the street, the shops, and the accumulated garbage). It is the site of intimate collective organizing, defining what the commons constitute and how we choose as city residents to deal with them. Buildings are also centre around which a multiplicity of stakeholders come together. Most buildings in Beirut are also laden with history; taking shelter together during the war, the different infringements on shared space, but also of long-lasting relationships. Old and new buildings and changing ways of dealing with services have meant, for example, that often water tanks and power generators replace play and parking areas. In that sense, the building is a space that portrays the everyday challenges of living in Beirut today, but also the space to witness the many ways in which people come together in community and solidarity, and attempt to innovate in the face of crisis.

We are starting the first phase of an ethnographic collective research that aims at documenting and analysing the crisis-ridden daily lives of residents in the city of Beirut, and the ways in which they individually and collectively negotiate, manage and resist the challenges of a city collapsing. The research takes the building as the primary unit and has the following objectives:

1. Document the lived experience of the crisis on the texture of the everyday life of residents in Beirut, and their access to basic rights and services.
2. Capture the different life-making coping and resistance strategies, specifically looking for what strategies and collaborations emerge from the cracks of those daily difficulties.
3. Probe the possibility that building committees could inform other forms of collective organizing that are broader in scope.

A group of researchers working in a participatory research process are each studying the building in which they reside. Each researcher will be documenting the everyday life of their building and the discussions, challenges and successes related to managing the shared spaces. Researchers might also interview residents where possible, or do further research on the history of the building

The first phase of the research started end April 2023 (partially funded by the Regional Office of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Beirut) as part of a longer research engagement. The first phase applies and tests the methodology and prepares for long-term research once further funding is secured.

We will strive to share learning from this research on our website and other media where possible. We would be happy to hear your thoughts on the research. Please share feedback, comments and suggestions below.

The post Between the private and the public: Building Committees and Spaces of Social Organizing in Beirut first appeared on Ebla Research Collective.

We are looking for 6-8 Arabic speaking part-time researchers that have access or live in buildings in Beirut to document their everyday experience within the building community and committee. Researchers will need to observe and write about the building they are researching; participate in group meetings and discuss findings with the team.

You will be required to provide an average of 5-6 hours per week over 10 weeks starting end of March 2023.

Application deadline: 3:00 pm 17 March 2023.

1.    Project description

The project is the first phase of a long-term ethnographic collective research that aims at documenting and analyzing the daily lives of residents of Beirut. Taking the building as the primary unit of study, the research looks at ways in which residents – individually and collectively – negotiate, manage and resist the challenges of living in the city through turbulent times and their successes and failures. It will also probe the possibility that organizing within buildings could inform other forms of collective organizing that are broader in scope.

Since the building is the primary unit of study, the selection of a sample of buildings for this project should satisfy a variety of conditions related to both researchers’ profiles and the buildings’ profiles.

2.    The role

The researcher is expected to be part-time and work independently as well as part of a team. Each researcher will document the life of a building they live in or have intimate access to.

Duties include:

• Conducting fieldwork over 8 weeks in or around the building of their choice, after securing research consent. Fieldwork includes, but is not limited to, attending building meetings, conducting interviews, documenting observations, recording interactions related to building residents and common services, etc.
• Participating in orientation, training and research tools development
• Attending bi-weekly meetings with fellow researchers
• Participating in the analysis of findings

The expected duration of the assignment is 5-6 hours per week over 10 weeks starting end of March 2023.

Researchers will be paid an hourly rate, midway through the project and at its end, upon completion of deliverables.

3.    Skills and qualifications

• Interested in the subject and curious to learn and explore through the process.
• Good interpersonal written and oral communication skills in Arabic
• Good observation, attention to detail and analytical skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team of researchers and having good organizational skills
• Ability to contribute and average or 6 hours per week, and participate in biweekly meetings and training.
• Having a university degree

4.    To apply

Kindly email an up-to-date CV and answers to each of the following two questions (in Arabic or English) to: EblaResearch@gmail.com by 3:00 pm 17 March 2023.

1. What makes the building you intend to research special? Describe briefly the building, its location, types of residents, and what you think can be learnt from its case (150 words maximum).
2. Why do you want to take part in the project? What will you learn from it (150 words maximum)?

The post Open Call – Part-time social researchers first appeared on Ebla Research Collective.