Advocating for the right to space through media and communication in Lebanon.

Abstract

Many people in Lebanon are deprived of their basic rights, including the right to housing due to market driven housing policies. The violation of the right to housing in Lebanon leads to displacement and marginalization of inhabitants who come from low socio-economic classes. In light of such violations, some specialized people in urban planning, sociology, economy or other majors that can affect policies, see themselves responsible to play a role in improving policy making to be more just and inclusive. This thesis examines the advocacy attempts of researchers and urban planners on the right to housing in particular and the right to space in general in Lebanon. I scrutinize two activism collectives from two different contexts in Lebanon: Lil Madina Initiative situated in Saida and Public Works Studio that’s based in Beirut. So, this research will try to understand how the mentioned activist groups use different forms of communication to advocate on housing issues in local neighborhoods. And, I will unpack the modes, forms and platforms of communication that they use to publicize their research findings and form advocacy campaigns, in addition to the most significant features of their discourses. Despite their similar approaches to urban planning and understanding of advocacy, this analysis provides an understanding of the impact of the different political contexts, even in one small country, on the attempts to advocacy and communication tactics in both contexts. To succeed in forming such a holistic understanding of their media usage, I adopt the Media Ecology Framework in my analysis. Moreover, I build my arguments around alternative media and alternative discourse concepts. Using textual analysis and visual analysis, I unpack the main frames, topics and messages that both collectives aim to disseminate and I put this discourse in conversation with mainstream discourses on similar topics. Also, through semi structured in depth interviews, I delve into the understandings and perceptions of activists about