THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN ADDRESSING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT ...

162 Pages·2011·1.13 MB·English

THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN ADDRESSING YOUTH
UNEMPLOYMENT IN LEBANON

by
Hana Addam El-Ghali
BA, American University of Beirut, 2002
MA, American University of Beirut, 2006

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of
the School of Education in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

University of Pittsburgh
2011
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

This dissertation was presented

by

Hana Addam El-Ghali

It was defended on
April 13, 2011
and approved by
John C. Weidman, PhD, Professor, Administrative and Policy Studies
John L. Yeager, PhD, Associate Professor, Administrative and Policy Studies
Fatma El-Hamidi, PhD, Adjunct Faculty, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
Dissertation Advisor: Maureen W. McClure, PhD, Associate Professor, Administrative and
Policy Studies

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Copyright © by Hana Addam El-Ghali
2011
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THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN ADDRESSING YOUTH
UNEMPLOYMENT IN LEBANON
Hana Addam El-Ghali, PhD
University of Pittsburgh, 2011

This qualitative study investigates how higher education institutions address youth
unemployment in Lebanon. Using a descriptive study design, it maps out the issues and potential
solutions within the environment the universities are embedded from the perspectives of leading
policy makers in the field of higher education in the country. The policy perspectives of
university rectors, government officials, and private sector employers are charted and then
compared in relation to youth unemployment, jobless graduates and the higher education
institutional role. The theoretical framework, which has been derived from the human capital
literature and higher education institutional theories, guides analysis of interviews with
institutional policymakers. The core study finding offers support for the compilation of
fundamental data and official demographic statistics, which will influence any potential policy
reform to be considered. Results suggest that there are differences and similarities between the
different participant groups in identifying the roots, risks and responses to the problem of youth
unemployment in the Lebanon. Additional findings point to a centrality of institutional role in
the mitigation of the crisis of jobless graduates in the country. Among policy recommendations
to follow the data compilation are joint efforts to address policy reform in the higher education
subsector in Lebanon.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE .................................................................................................................................... XI
1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1
1.1 CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM ...................................................................... 2
1.1.1 Regional Context.............................................................................................. 3
1.1.2 Local Context ................................................................................................... 4
1.1.3 Institutional Context...................................................................................... 10
1.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE ......................... 13
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................... 15
2.1 DEMOGRAPHICS ............................................................................................ 15
2.2 MARKET/EMPLOYMENT OPPROTUNITIES........................................... 21
2.3 POLICY SOLUTIONS ..................................................................................... 28
2.3.1 Government Sector ........................................................................................ 29
2.3.2 Private Sector ................................................................................................. 32
2.3.3 Higher Education Subsector ......................................................................... 34
3.0 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................................. 36
3.1 THE HUMAN CAPITAL THEORY ............................................................... 36
3.1.1 Macro-Level Human Capital Perspective ................................................... 37
3.1.2 Micro-Level Human Capital Perspective .................................................... 43
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3.1.3 Human Capital and Complimentary Capitals ............................................ 45
3.1.4 Critique of the Human capital Theory ........................................................ 47
3.1.5 Capital Creation and Youth Unemployment in Lebanon .......................... 50
3.2 HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONAL THEORY ................................ 57
3.2.1 Role of Higher Education Institutions in the Society ................................. 57
3.2.2 Higher Education Institutions and Societal Change .................................. 60
3.3 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ 65
4.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................. 67
4.1 RESEARCH DESIGN ....................................................................................... 68
4.2 PARTICIPANTS ............................................................................................... 69
4.3 DATA COLLECTION ...................................................................................... 71
4.3.1 Elite Interviews .............................................................................................. 72
4.4 DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................................. 75
4.4.1 Data Coding.................................................................................................... 75
4.4.2 Data Interpretation........................................................................................ 76
4.4.2.1 Perceived Role of Higher Education Institutions ....................... 79
4.4.2.2 Policymakers’ Awareness ................................................................ 80
4.4.2.3 Other Emergent Themes .................................................................. 81
5.0 FINDINGS .................................................................................................................. 83
5.1 INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA............................................................. 84
5.1.1 Findings Category 1: Awareness of the Youth Unemployment Crisis ..... 85
5.1.1.1 University Leaders .............................................................................. 86
5.1.1.2 Other Leaders ...................................................................................... 88
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5.1.1.3 Summary: Awareness ......................................................................... 91
5.1.2 Findings Category 2: Roots of the Youth Unemployment Crisis .............. 91
5.1.2.1 University Leaders .............................................................................. 91
5.1.2.2 Other Leaders ...................................................................................... 94
5.1.2.3 Summary: Roots .................................................................................. 96
5.1.3 Findings Category 3: Risks of the Youth Unemployment Crisis .............. 97
5.1.3.1 University Leaders .............................................................................. 97
5.1.3.2 Other Leaders .................................................................................... 100
5.1.3.3 Summary: Risks ................................................................................ 100
5.1.4 Findings Category 4: Responses to Address the Youth Unemployment
Crisis 101
5.1.4.1 University Leaders ............................................................................ 101
5.1.4.2 Other Leaders .................................................................................... 104
5.1.4.3 Summary: Responses ........................................................................ 107
5.2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ........................................................................... 107
6.0 RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................. 111
6.1 DISCUSSION OF STUDY RESULTS........................................................... 112
6.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ............................................................... 119
6.3 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ................................................................. 120
6.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION ...................................................... 122
6.4.1 Best Practices and Emergent Policies ........................................................ 124
6.4.1.1 Syria.................................................................................................... 125
6.4.1.2 Jordan ................................................................................................ 126
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6.4.1.3 Tunisia ................................................................................................ 127
6.4.1.4 Morocco.............................................................................................. 128
6.4.1.5 Yemen ................................................................................................. 129
6.4.2 Lebanon Context Relevant Policy Recommendations ............................. 131
6.5 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 133
APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................ 135
APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................ 137
APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................ 139
APPENDIX D ............................................................................................................................ 140
BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 141
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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Ranking MENA Countries by Unemployment Rates (most recent year) ........................ 18
Table 2 Unemployment Rate by gender for the age group 15 and above (2007) ......................... 23
Table 3 Unemployment by Major (1994-1998) ............................................................................ 24
Table 4 Lebanese Emigrants by Country/Region ......................................................................... 25
Table 5 Distribution of Labor Force Sample according to Education .......................................... 28
Table 6 Return to Education in Lebanon ...................................................................................... 29
Table 7 Labor Freedom Index ....................................................................................................... 33
Table 8 Gross Enrollment Ratios in Lebanon, by Education Level and Gender, 2004 ................ 51
Table 9 Student Enrollment in Lebanon, by Education Level and Type of School, 2006–2007 . 53
Table 10 Intersection of Research Questions and Interview Questions ....................................... 74
Table 11 Level of Awareness of University Leaders .................................................................... 86
Table 12 University Leaders’ Perceived Roots of Youth Unemployment in Lebanon ................ 91
Table 13 Perceived Role of University in Mitigating the Youth Unemployment Crisis ............ 102
Table 14 Summary of Findings................................................................................................... 108
Table 15 Youth Unemployment Reform in Select Countries of the MENA .............................. 130
Table 16 Participating Universities ............................................................................................. 137
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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Student Enrollment Trend .............................................................................................. 13
Figure 2 Population pyramid for residents of Lebanon ................................................................ 19
Figure 3 Population pyramid for native residents of Lebanon ..................................................... 20
Figure 4 Lebanon Population Pyramid in Thousands – 1980, 2010, 2040 ................................... 21
Figure 5 Impact of Education on Economic Growth and Development ....................................... 41
Figure 6 Growth in Universities in Lebanon 1886-2001 .............................................................. 52
Figure 7 Parental Occupation of Higher Education Students ...................................................... 54
Figure 8 Research Study Development......................................................................................... 78
Figure 9 Trends in Youth Unemployment Rates ........................................................................ 126
Figure 10 Snapshot of Treenode ................................................................................................. 139
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