The dynamics and specific mechanisms inherent to the culture of honor is an important topic to study in light of the Maison Blanche night club shooting that took place February 25th between a Mazen el-Zein and Antoun Sehnaoui, CEO of SGBL. What happened on that hot Saturday at the White House Club in Beirut helps us understand something about the etiology of 'manhood' in Arab societies and in similar cultures of honor.
In fact, Antoun Sehnaoui's bodyguards' act falls within what anthropologists have righteously identified and dubbed a "culture of honor", in which even small disputes become contests for reputation and social status."
Honor in a society like Lebanon means a pride of manhood in masculine courage, physical strength, and warrior virtue. It was somehow of no surprise to see the bodyguards of Antoun Sehnaoui, defend the young CEO's honor without a moment's hesitation-lashing out against their challengers.
Indeed, defense of honor can and must be understood within a larger social context of reputations, relative social status, and enduring relationships.
The shooting provided strong additional evidence that defamatory insults are crucially important in such cultures. A male who is insulted but does not retaliate risks having his masculine reputation diminished. When a challenging or highly status-relevant situation is encountered, the person may lash out with violent or aggressive behavior to reassert himself.
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