Local peoples’ perceptions on Syrian refugees in Turkey: the case of ‘gün’ groups
Author
Mete, Hatice
Advisor
Özçürümez, Saime
Date
2018-08Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
This study mainly investigates the perceptions on Syrian refugees in Turkey,
as one of the host countries. It does so by focusing on the case of the perceptions of
the local population in Mersin, a city which received a substantial number of Syrian
refugees in Turkey. The research is based on the analysis of data from five “gün”
groups in Mersin, which consist of occasions of females of different age and socioeconomic
backgrounds on a fairly regular basis. In the context of this study, the
discourses of the ‘gün’ participants will be analyzed, and the common patterns
revealed in the ‘gün’ groups’ discourses as prejudiced perceptions, stereotypes and
hearsays, scapegoating, ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ and discriminative discourses will be
emphasized. The study concludes that the discourses of the ‘gün’ members reveal
marginalization and discursive exclusion of the Syrian refugees. It underlines the
function of the ‘gün’ occasions as “building blocks of society” in identity
(re)formation of the Syrian refugees in everyday life. The study also draws the
conclusion that marginalization and exclusion are stemming from lack of interaction,
cultural differences, language obstacle and lack of trust towards the Syrian refugees.