Research Article

A qualitative research on the acculturation strategies, risk factors and health perceptions of Syrian asylum seekers

Volume: 2 Number: 2 April 24, 2022
  • Dilek Nural Arslan
  • Şafak Dağhan

A qualitative research on the acculturation strategies, risk factors and health perceptions of Syrian asylum seekers

Abstract

The internal turmoil, that broke out in Syria, started a mass migration movement towards Turkey in 2011. This migration movement, which proved to be an important social phenomenon, individuals from many different cultures have experienced coexistence for compulsory reasons. On top of that experience they were subjected to, the addition of a highly complicated process of acculturation, and the risk factors which immigrants and ethnic minority groups faced caused them to classify as vulnurable regarding health. The aim of this study is to assess how the preferred acculturation strategy of Syrian asylum seekers, who found themselves living along with different cultures, their negative or positive experiences and the risk factors they face affects their health, and health perceptions. The research was designed as a phenomenological research. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 participants, who were included in the study, using the purposive sampling strategies, homogeneous case sampling and criterion sampling technique. In addition to the usage of code book obtained from the literary works related to the field using the deductive method, the data recorded by observing and the notes from interviews were reduced to themes, categories and codes using the inductive method. The study is grouped under three main themes, namely acculturation strategy of Syrian asylum seekers, risk factors affecting the healths of Syrian asylum seekers and health perception of Syrian asylum seekers. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out by using descriptive analysis and content analysis provided in the MAXQDA 2020 pro-package program. Although the participants heavily express their opinions in favor of seperationg strategy, which is one of the acculturation strategies, this is followed by an integration strategy. Furthermore, the participants were observed to have been subjected to discrimination and rejection, and in this process, facing risk factors mainly social, psychological, environmental, physical and barriers affecting healthcare procurement. Multiple relational analysis show that an intense relationship was found between the participants who preferred the separatist strategy and the risk factors affecting their health. It was observed that the participants who reported good health perception before migrating; due to the most reported social risk factor, economic barriers, reported negative health perception after migrating. The majority of participants who preferred the integration strategy reported good health perception both before and after migration.

Keywords

References

  1. 1. T.C. İç İşleri Bakanlığı Göç İdaresi Genel Müdürlüğü (2016). Türkiye Göç Raporu-2016 (in Turkish). https://www.goc.gov.tr/kurumlar/goc.gov.tr/files/2016_yiik_goc_raporu_haziran.pdf
  2. 2. Bozan İ, Kaştan Y. Views of the migrant students on problems they confront: A case study (in Turkish). IJOSES. 2018;5(10):225-48. doi: 10.20860/ijoses.447898. 3. Zafer AB. 1878-1914 yıllarında Balkanlar ve Kafkasya’dan gelen ikinci kuşak göçmen kadınların kültürleşme süreci (Bursa vilayeti İnegöl kazası örneği) (in Turkish). [PhD Dissertation] Bursa Uludağ University Institute of Social Sciences. 2015.
  3. 4. Kızıltaş Ş. Kültürleşmenin tüketici etnosentrizmi üzerine. Etkisini belirlemeye yönelik bir araştırma. (in Turkish). [PhD Dissertation]. Atatürk University Institute of Social Sciences. 2014.
  4. 5. Berry JW, Poortinga YH, Segall MH, Dasen PR. Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications. Cambridge University Press; 2002.
  5. 6. Berry JW, Sam DL. The Cambridge handbook of acculturation psychology: Cambridge University Press Cambridge; 2006.
  6. 7. Berry JW, Kalin R. Multicultural policy and social psychology: The Canadian experience. In Political Psychology. London: Palgrave Macmillan; 2000. 263-84 p.
  7. 8. Güler A. The effects of ethnic identity in acculturation and psychological well-being among Turkish immigrants in the united states. Hacetepe University Institute of Social Sciences 2016.
  8. 9. Berry JW. Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Appl Psychol. 1997;46(1):5-34. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-0597.1997.tb01087.x.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Health Care Administration

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Dilek Nural Arslan This is me
0000-0003-4662-2086
Türkiye

Şafak Dağhan This is me
0000-0003-3805-6416
Türkiye

Publication Date

April 24, 2022

Submission Date

December 26, 2021

Acceptance Date

February 3, 2022

Published in Issue

Year 2022 Volume: 2 Number: 2

APA
Nural Arslan, D., & Dağhan, Ş. (2022). A qualitative research on the acculturation strategies, risk factors and health perceptions of Syrian asylum seekers. Health Sciences Quarterly, 2(2), 55-72. https://izlik.org/JA52AD43UU
AMA
1.Nural Arslan D, Dağhan Ş. A qualitative research on the acculturation strategies, risk factors and health perceptions of Syrian asylum seekers. Health Sci. Q. 2022;2(2):55-72. https://izlik.org/JA52AD43UU
Chicago
Nural Arslan, Dilek, and Şafak Dağhan. 2022. “A Qualitative Research on the Acculturation Strategies, Risk Factors and Health Perceptions of Syrian Asylum Seekers”. Health Sciences Quarterly 2 (2): 55-72. https://izlik.org/JA52AD43UU.
EndNote
Nural Arslan D, Dağhan Ş (April 1, 2022) A qualitative research on the acculturation strategies, risk factors and health perceptions of Syrian asylum seekers. Health Sciences Quarterly 2 2 55–72.
IEEE
[1]D. Nural Arslan and Ş. Dağhan, “A qualitative research on the acculturation strategies, risk factors and health perceptions of Syrian asylum seekers”, Health Sci. Q., vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 55–72, Apr. 2022, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA52AD43UU
ISNAD
Nural Arslan, Dilek - Dağhan, Şafak. “A Qualitative Research on the Acculturation Strategies, Risk Factors and Health Perceptions of Syrian Asylum Seekers”. Health Sciences Quarterly 2/2 (April 1, 2022): 55-72. https://izlik.org/JA52AD43UU.
JAMA
1.Nural Arslan D, Dağhan Ş. A qualitative research on the acculturation strategies, risk factors and health perceptions of Syrian asylum seekers. Health Sci. Q. 2022;2:55–72.
MLA
Nural Arslan, Dilek, and Şafak Dağhan. “A Qualitative Research on the Acculturation Strategies, Risk Factors and Health Perceptions of Syrian Asylum Seekers”. Health Sciences Quarterly, vol. 2, no. 2, Apr. 2022, pp. 55-72, https://izlik.org/JA52AD43UU.
Vancouver
1.Dilek Nural Arslan, Şafak Dağhan. A qualitative research on the acculturation strategies, risk factors and health perceptions of Syrian asylum seekers. Health Sci. Q. [Internet]. 2022 Apr. 1;2(2):55-72. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA52AD43UU