Social Science Research Council

Beirut, Lebanon
22-24 October 2004

The SSRC Program on the Middle East and North Africa and the Center for Behavioral Research at the American University of Beirut co-organized an international conference entitled “The Beirut Conference on Public Spheres,” which was held on October 22-24, 2004, at the AUB campus in Beirut, Lebanon.

The concept of “public spheres,” as elaborated by different social theorists, has generated an important literature on the conditions shaping public discourses, on the nature of “publics” and “public action,” and on the implications of such processes for democratic theory. The literature on these issues is becoming increasingly comparative and critical, demonstrating the limits of the original notion as emanating from particular views of European history and specific socio-political transformations.

This conference aimed at promoting inter-disciplinary discussions that examined public spheres in the context of the Middle East and North Africa but also at addressing cross-regional/cross-national comparisons and advancing theoretical approaches to the notion of the public sphere.

78 papers were selected competitively through an open call. Presentations focused on (but were not limited to) the following themes:

The conference featured keynote addressed by Dr. Talal Asad, Dr. Michael Burawoy, and Dr. Craig Calhoun. Overall, the conference comprised an international and multi-disciplinary representation of scholars.

Please click here for the conference program and schedule.

The conference was open to all those who were interested.

Paper presenters, participants and registered guests of the conference may find additional information at the following password protected site. Please direct all additional queries to mena@ssrc.org, or (212) 377-2700, x613.