Pandemic Times: Covid-19, Popular Mobilisation, and Socioeconomic Inequalities in Lebanon

The spread of the Covid-19 virus - and associated measures to mitigate and respond to the pandemic - is having a profound impact on patterns of inequality, marginalisation, and social exclusion. This is a particularly important challenge in many areas of the Global South, where already existing socioeconomic inequalities are likely to be intensified in the wake of the pandemic. The primary goal of this research project is to analyse how social and political movements are responding to, engaging with, and mobilising around these new socioeconomic realities. The research focuses on Lebanon, where a large wave of popular mobilisation erupted in 2019 in protest against the country's dire economic conditions, political corruption, and the crumbling state of infrastructure and public services. Utilising fieldwork in Lebanon, the research will produce an academic article and a transcription of selected interviews for a leading Middle East-related website.