Socio-Demographic Antecedents to Religious-Political Violence in the Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon

Background and Purpose: The research tools, principles, and ethics of American social work practice have been refined through decades of work – work which has effected positive social change and improved the quality of life of many Americans. Yet, only infrequently has this ‘toolkit' been used by international NGOs to address social functioning problems abroad, such as those faced by Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. In particular, the community of the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, which remains displaced following a protracted three month battle in the camp between the Lebanese Armed Forces and the militant Islamist group Fatah al-Islam in 2007, is desperately in need of improved care. Introducing elements of social work practice into humanitarian missions, development assistance, and related interventionist practices and bringing the experience of American social practice to new communities – internationally and in non-Western societies – will be critical in exploring the “Emerging Horizons for Social Work Research” in the years to come. Methods: The authors have sought to use social work theory, in particular the person-in-environment (PIE) perspective, and innovative research methodologies to discern the drivers of religious-political conflict in three refugee camps: Nahr al-Bared, Beddawi, and ‘Ayn al-Hilweh. The authors present the findings of a large (n = 1,317) household survey conducted in 2009 Given the unfeasibility of conventional sampling frames, the survey utilized randomized GPS coordinate sampling with probability weighting to achieve its sample. Interviewers were residents of the camps with survey experience who were trained by the authors on household selection and in appropriate interviewing techniques. Variables assessed included subjective quality of life (SQOL), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), histories of human rights violations, work and employment, educational attainment, social service provision, social capital, satisfaction with governance, and religiosity, among others. Results: Significant correlates with attitudinal acceptance of religious-political violence in multiple linear regression models included low satisfaction with existing governance structures (p = .067), an external locus of control (p < .01), poor educational attainment (p < .001), income (p < .01), and Islamic fundamentalism (p < .001). Other notable findings included a high incidence of PTSD symptomology among adults, an extremely high percentage (> 70%) of persons having witnessed violence in the last six months in southern portions of the ‘Ayn al-Hilweh camp, and the wide dissemination of ‘radical' ideologies among particularly disaffected camp residents. The use of GPS coordinates and geo-coded maps in the sampling stage of the survey has also allowed the authors to map out the geography of select variables, including human rights violations. Conclusions and Recommendations: Based upon the results of this research, the authors advance an agenda of policy and program recommendations for the reduction of conflict, which addresses both intra-Palestinian and Lebanese-Palestinian dynamics. It is intended that results be shared with donors, such as the United National Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), to help improve social service delivery and that new development assistance programs be designed to reduce conflict.