Nature and Well-Being in Times of Crisis and Unrest: Iraq and Lebanon

Abstract

This article explores how cultivated nature emerges as therapeutic in maintaining psychological well-being for individuals living in contexts of violence and unrest. It addresses this issue through analysis of two contemporary works of Arabic fiction, one set in Iraq and the other in Lebanon. We ask about the effect of contact with two expressions of nature on central characters in the novels while taking into account that, in therapeutic horticulture, active or passive contact with nature may promote human health.

Keywords

• Arabic literature, eco-criticism, therapeutic horticulture, garden therapy, post-traumatic stress disorder, nature-based activity, well-being, violence, war