European University Institute Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Mediterranean Programme Eight Mediterranean Social and Political Research Meeting Florence – Montecatini Terme, 21–25 March 2007 © 2007. All rights reserved. No part of this paper may be distributed, quoted or reproduced in any form without permission from the author(s). For authorised quotation(s) please acknowledge the Mediterranean Programme as follows: “Paper presented at the Eight Mediterranean Social and Political Research Meeting, Florence & Montecatini Terme, 21–25 March 2007, organised by the Mediterranean Programme of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute.” Theorising Autonomy and Stability: Social Systems and Gender in mid-Nineteenth Century Beirut Christine Lindner University of Edinburgh s0453472@sms.ed.ac.uk Workshop 7 The Late Ottoman Port Cities and Their Inhabitants: Subjectivity, Urbanity, and Conflicting Orders