• Arab Diasporas:

Looking at Arab immigrants in Europe and North America, I investigate the diasporic nature of their communities and identities, and the complex ways they integrate to their host societies, maintain ties to their homelands and construct global solidarities and cosmopolitan identities. My book, The Lebanese Diaspora, looks at the experiences of post civil war Lebanese immigrants in three world cities and the ways they engage with networks and communities that bridge local attachments and global forms of citizenship. Currently, I am looking at the experiences of Syrian refugees in Sweden and investigating the role of transnational networks in their shaping their arrival and integration.

• The Children of Immigrants

In a comparative project, I study the transition from school to work among the children of Middle Eastern immigrants in four European countries in order to understand subjective understandings of socioeconomic success and cultural belonging. Not surprisingly, the different immigration contexts, educational systems and labor market dynamics yield differences in the experiences. However, widespread discrimination that the children of Middle Eastern immigrants face brings about strong similarities in their experiences and social positions.

• Women and Globalization in the GCC

Focusing on women with leadership positions in the public sector and private enterprise in the GCC, my research investigates their role in social and cultural transformations in their societies. Specifically, I look into the nature of women’s networking activities and the extent to which these networks are utilized to address gender specific concerns; the relationship between women’s economic activity and political mobilization; and cultural and religious resources that inform women’s public activities.

• Women, Islam and Social Engagement in Egypt

Looking at the impact of globalization on gender dynamics in Egypt, I study women’s public roles and the ways integration into a global political economy changes the lives of individual men and women in contradictory ways. In understanding these transformations, my work highlights the interplay of Islam, local traditions and global cultural ideals.