Local peoples’ perceptions on Syrian refugees in Turkey: the case of ‘gün’ groups

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.