Beyond the beyond(s): On the (many) third way(s) beyond primordialism and instrumentalism in the study of sectarianism

Abstract

This meta‐study examines the nature of past and current theoretically informed debates on sectarian politics in the Middle East and identifies the biggest challenges and possible directions for the future study of sectarianism. Contrary to the conventional narrative about a “sectarian journey” torn between a flawed primordialist and instrumentalist approach in between which a new superior “third way” is needed, the article shows that both primordialism and instrumentalism are rare in the academic debate on sectarianism, quite similar to the broader ethnicity/nationalism debate. However, this has not resulted in a “new conventional wisdom” about how to proceed. Thus, the article identifies a cacophony of suggestions for how the much aspired‐to third way should look like. Against this background, the article suggests that it is time to go beyond the ritual calls to “get beyond primordialism and instrumentalism.” Instead, it is time to devote more attention to examining the multiple already existing suggestions for “third ways”. Rather than highlighting a single third way as superior, the article contributes to this move in two ways: it shows how the various third ways can be grouped into three “beyond strategies” (the New Saviour, the Baby and the Bathwater, and the LEGO eclectic strategies) and outlines a number of meta‐theoretical issues to consider in order to move the debate forward.

Sectarian identity and national identity in the Middle East

“…is inherently flawed in that it insists on framing intrinsically multilayered phenomena (sectarian identity and sectarian relations) in monochrome terms. This defies far more complex realities and recreates the unhelpfully rigid categories and binaries that have dominated the literature (Valbjorn, ). The complexity and ambiguity of sectarian identity mandate a multilayered framework that acknowledges the fact that these identities operate simultaneously on multiple, interconnected and mutually dialogical fields: doctrinal, subnational, national, and transnational (Haddad, , Chapters 3 and 4). With the term sectarianism safely discarded and with the adoption of a suitably multilayered conceptual framework for sectarian identity, the article comes to its central point, namely, the relationship and interaction between sectarian identity and national identity.…”

The international sources of prejudice against Shi‘a in the Middle East and North Africa: Original survey evidence from Morocco

“…5. That these two themes transcend studies' theoretical orientations underscores the importance of Valbjørn's (2020) call for studies of sectarianism to move beyond proposing 'third way [s]' in putative debates between primordialist and instrumentalist theorization of sectarianism and instead focus on investigating empirical questions via scholars' diverse theoretical approaches and on developing and refining those approaches further. 6.…”

Introduction to themed section on ‘Belonging to Syria. National identifications before and after 2011’

“…Yet, with the country's descent into civil war, and the involvement of regional and international powers, a unified Syrian identity once more came under serious scrutiny, while diverse ethnic, religious and sectarian logics resurfaced (Hinnebusch, 2016; Hinnebusch & Saouli, 2019; Khatib, 2019; Phillips, 2016; Pierret, 2017; Salloukh, 2017). As a result, ethno‐religious divisions often serve as the main frame of analysis for the Syrian war and its politics, to the detriment of other factors, including nationalism (Phillips, 2015; Valbjørn, 2020; Weiss, 2018). The contributions of this themed section instead switch the focus to national attachments to Syria and their diverse interpretations.…”