Les classes sociales au Liban

The myth of Lebanon's harmony lias collapsed. This stady of social classes shows the fragility of the now disrupted social ba­lances of Lebanese society. Historical pers­pective places the appearance of social clas­ses at the beginning of the I9th century. Economie analysis delineates the spécifie fiea-tures of class structure in a multiconfessional country playing the rôle of a relay in the world capitalist market. Biographical inter­views show how actors in the current draina view their interests and solidarities.The individuals who speak in this book are also today the participants in a fratri-cidal war, overwhelmed by a socio-political juggernaut..One may wonder whether the only function of this form of government n'as not,during thirty years of independence, to insure the highest and quickest possible profits and the most conspicuous consumption for a small minority of traditional leaders, unscru-puled « plutocrats » and big merchants of ail dénominations.