SOAS Research Online

Abstract

My article draws on a yearlong fieldwork conducted in Lebanon and builds on the existing literature on love and marriage in the Arab world in order to reiterate the unison of the imaginary with the material when thinking through romantic love. In addition, it prioritizes positive interpretations of kin relations by highlighting the equally important inclusive and relational qualities that external kin relations conduce. By doing so, it adds an important layer to our understanding of the role and scope of kin relations vis-à-vis the couple. Kin approval ought not be seen as either/or divisive/conditional. For many couples, kin relations constitute an arena where they can disseminate their affective bond. Such analysis is three-fold. In addition to embracing the multiple subjectivity of my interlocutors, it moves beyond the strict political economy approach that informs marriage studies in the Middle East and dismantles monolithic perceptions of Middle Eastern kin networks.