Societal Issues and the Scholars’ Epistemological Interests in Social Sciences at Lebanese Universities

The recent crises in Lebanon-including the 2019 uprising, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and the ongoing financial and economic collapse-have reshaped the research agendas in the social sciences. This study investigates how these events have influenced research priorities at the Lebanese University (LU), the American University of Beirut (AUB), and the Lebanese American University (LAU). By analyzing 203 articles published between 2019 and 2023, the study categorizes the works by language, theme, and institutional affiliation, and also examines the gender and institutional profiles of the contributing scholars. The findings indicate that LU prioritizes Arabic-language publications to address a local audience, while AUB and LAU aim for an international readership through English-language publishing. The study also demonstrates how institutional conditions, funding structures, and academic affiliations shape scholars’ choices of research topics.