Asylum-Seekers Experience and Acculturation:A Study of Syrian-University Students in Turkey

Year 2017, Special Issue-1 Middle East and Migration, 66 - 86, 30.11.2017

Yusuf Ziya Karipek

https://doi.org/10.26513/tocd.316150

Cited By: 3

Abstract

This study
explores specific factors that impact the acculturation process among Syrian
immigrants at a Turkish University. While providing deeper analysis of Berry
(1997)’s acculturation theory, the paper addresses the impact of linguistic,
ethnic, and cultural differences and similarities on acculturation among
refugee university students based on fifteen individual interviews. Given the
gap in the literature, the aim of this qualitative research is to understand
how Syrian-university refugee students adapt and integrate by examining how
they obtain linguistic skills, cope with ethnic and cultural differences and
develop their educational objectives in relation to future goals. Language
barrier is noted as the biggest obstacle against acculturation but for all
participants, the linguistic acculturation and short cultural distance
contribute to the acculturation process by increasing the ability to interact
and communicate with the members of majority culture. Next, ethnic difference
poses threat against acculturation but nearly all participants, including
Syrian Turkmen, appeal to broader statuses, rather than Turkish per se, for example
the ummah consciousness, to create mutual understanding and solidarity between
themselves and the majority group. Finally, Syrian university students consider
their experiences in Turkey as sojourning and hold firm intentions to return to
home country after a period of time.  

Keywords

migration, acculturation, asylumseekers, assimilation, integration

Mülteci Deneyimi ve Kültürel Etkileşim: Türkiye’de Suriyeli Üniversite Öğrencileri Üzerine Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Türkiye'de bir devlet
üniversitesinde eğitim gören Suriyeli göçmen öğrencilerin kültürel etkileşim
süreçlerini etkileyen belirli faktörleri ele almaktadır. Berry (1997)'ın
kültürleşme teorisini derinlemesine analiz ederken, mülteci üniversite
öğrencileri arasındaki kültürel farklılıkların ve benzerliklerin kültürleşme
üzerindeki etkisini, on beş bireysel mülakat temelinde ele alıyor. Literatürdeki boşluğu göz önüne alarak, bu araştırmanın
amacı, Suriyeli üniversiteli mülteci öğrencilerin dil becerilerini nasıl elde
ettiklerini, etnik ve kültürel farklılıkların üstesinden gelip gelmediklerini
ve eğitim hedeflerini geleceğe yönelik olarak nasıl geliştirdiklerini
inceleyerek Türk toplumuna uyum ve entegrasyonlarını anlamaya
yönelik bir nitel çalışmadır. Dil engeli, kültürel etkileşime en büyük engel
olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır fakat tüm çalışmada yer alan öğrenciler için, dil
açısından çabuk uyum sağlama ve Suriye ile Türkiye arasındaki yakın kültürel
mesafe, çoğunluk kültürünü oluşturan Türk halkı ile etkileşim ve iletişim kurma olanaklarını
artırmaktadır. Yine, etnik farklılıklar kültürel etkileşime karşı tehdit
oluşturmaktadır. Yaklaşık olarak tüm katılımcılar, Suriyeli Türkmenler de dahil
olmak üzere, kendilerini tanımlarken, Suriye ile ilişkilendirmektedirler.
Ancak, yerel halk ile ilişkilendirinde ise, Türk ve Suriyeli kimliği yerine,
daha kapsayıcı kimliklere, örneğin ümmet bilincine sığınarak çoğunluğu
oluşturan ev sahibi toplumun bireyleriyle karşılıklı anlayış ve dayanışmayı
geliştirmeyi hedeflemektedirler. Son olarak, Suriyeli üniversite öğrencileri
Türkiye'deki öğrenim hayatlarını geçici süreli öğrenci olarak değerlendirmekte
ve belli bir süre sonra Suriye'ye geri dönme konusunda sabit fikirlere
sahiptirler.

Keywords

Göç, Kültürleşme, Mülteci, Asimilasyon, Çokkültürlülük

References

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