The role of historical knowledge among contemporary Druze in Lebanon: applying anthropology to preserve intangible cultural heritage

Abstract

The millennium-long history of the Druze continues to shape members’ sense of ethnoreligious particularism and relations with other groups in Lebanon. Their contemporary heritage narrative and processes of enculturation are associated with basic knowledge of community history in the region. Participant interviews provided insight into the role that knowledge of history and dogma plays in shaping the identity politics of the Druze community. An applied anthropological and political economy approach offers contextualization of the factors that shape contemporary Druze cultural heritage. This work seeks to identify the connections among the community’s social problems, including exogamy, apathy, poor relations with other religious groups, and a self-described knowledge gap. By exploring the role of formal and informal cultural resources among the Druze, this study offers new insights into the role of history in shaping attachment to ethnoreligious community identity.