A Qualitative Examination of the Reasons for the Reality of Social Tension Experienced by Syrians Under Temporary Protection
Aykut Çalışkan, Gazanfer KayaThe phenomenon of social tension is a social problem that is affected by the social reality in which one exists and at the same time shapes social cohesion in terms of its results. This study addresses Syrians under temporary protection in Türkiye who are alleged to be parties to new tensions and conflicts in Turkish cities based on the sociology of social tensions and conflicts. In addition to studies on the relationships between migration and crime in the literature, this study focuses on how international immigrants experience the phenomenon of social tension. In this context, the study attempts to understand how social tension is experienced through the observations and experiences of international immigrants as a subject in society (i.e., Syrians) regarding the environment in which they live. The study aims to understand the characteristics that determine Syrians’ experiences with social tension. The data collection process has been constructed using an epistemological hermeneutic approach. The research also aims to understand the causes behind the social tension Syrians experience. The study is conducted using the qualitative research method and interviews Syrians under temporary protection status. The environmental, economic, and social themes that build the space are understood to play a role in the experience of social tension, and these factors have been determined to affect social tension through discourses with a structural appearance.
Geçici Koruma Kapsamındaki Suriyelilerin Deneyimlediği Sosyal Gerilim Gerçekliğinin Nedenlerine Yönelik Nitel Bir İnceleme
Aykut Çalışkan, Gazanfer KayaToplumsal sorunlardan biri olarak kabul edilen sosyal gerilim olgusu, var olduğu toplumsal gerçeklikten etkilendiği gibi sonuçları itibariyle de sosyal uyumu belirlemektedir. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye kentlerindeki sosyal gerilim ve çatışmaların sosyolojik bağlamından yola çıkılarak, kentlerdeki yeni gerilim ve çatışmaların tarafı olduğu iddia edilen geçici koruma kapsamındaki Suriyeliler araştırılmıştır. Alan yazındaki göç, suç ve güvenlik arasındaki ilişkiyi ele alan araştırmaların dışında söz konusu çalışma sosyal gerilim olgusunun uluslararası göçmenler tarafından nasıl deneyimlendiğine odaklanmaktadır. Böylece toplumda özne olarak uluslararası göçmenlerin, özelde ise Suriyelilerin içinde bulundukları çevreye ilişkin gözlem ve yaşantılarıyla sosyal gerilimi deneyimleme süreçleri anlaşılmaya çalışılmıştır. Kentlerdeki sosyal gerilim bağlamında Suriyelilerin sosyal gerilim deneyimlerini belirleyen özelliklerinin tespit edilmesi amacıyla epistemolojik açıdan hermonetik bir anlayışla veri toplama süreci inşa edilmiştir. Araştırmanın amacı Suriyeliler tarafından deneyimlenen sosyal gerilim olgusuna dair dinamiklerin anlaşılmasıdır. Çalışma, nitel araştırma yöntemi üzerine kurgulanmış, Suriyeliler ile görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Sosyal gerilim içeren olayların deneyimlenmesinde mekânı inşa eden çevresel, ekonomik ve toplumsal temaların rol oynadığı, ancak bu etkenlerin yapısal görünüme kavuşmuş söylemler üzerinden sosyal gerilim olgusunu etkilediği anlaşılmıştır.
Decades may need to pass before immigrants are accepted by and integrate with the society they have entered. During these decades, urban tensions and conflicts are experienced between the local population and immigrants to varying degrees and for various reasons, thus affecting social cohesion. In addition, refugee and immigrant policy is one of the most discussed issues in countries’ politics. The phenomenon of migration comes to the fore as part of the steps toward securitization and takes on a discourse that includes not only public policies but also society and individuals. The question of how this interaction affects social tension stands out as an important problem. When examining the historical contexts of migration in Türkiye, it is understood to have been a geographical reality in every period, and this provides an important perspective toward illuminating the problematic.
The main purpose of this research involves a sociological analysis of how Syrians who have been living in Türkiye for over ten years have experienced social tension in the cities where they have settled. The study’s field research was conducted in some districts and neighborhoods of İzmir and Ankara that have come to the fore through the tensions and conflicts between Syrians and the local population. In addition, Syrians are clustered in repressed inner-city areas and the low-income districts of both big cities. In this context, the study aims to investigate how Syrians experience tense events with the local community in the urban spaces where they live. However, important ideas have been obtained in terms of understanding and overcoming the obstacles in front of the experiences they undergo.
In this context, two separate field studies have been planned on the subject. The first attempts to understand the reason for the violent judicial incidents that took place in the Altındağ district of Ankara. The study has been conducted through interviews in the Konak district of Izmir alongside the data obtained from there. Thus, the main problem statement of the research involves using scientific criteria to understanding the causes of social tension and conflict that are experienced by Syrians. The study is based on qualitative research methods and interviews 14 Syrians. Ethics committee approval has also been obtained for the research with the decision numbered 16 of Dokuz Eylül University Social and Humanities Research and Publication Ethics Board on 01.03.2022.
As a result of the research and its sociological examination of social tension, the themes related to economic, environmental, and social reasons are understood to be important in both research regions. The results obtained in the province of İzmir, where the last steps of the research occurred are presented in Table 1. In this context, the research focuses on how Syrians experience social tension using their observations and experiences regarding the environment in which they live; the study conceptualizes the dynamics that affect social tension multi-dimensionally. Both field studies in Ankara and İzmir provinces have concluded the sociocultural characteristics regarding Syrians’ choice of settlement, their concentration in disadvantaged areas, and the emergence of behaviors not accepted by society (e.g., social tension and conflict) are seen to occur in these settlements. Therefore, the social relations the Syrians have established in the settlement not only appear as a part of this whole but also affect the structural factors according to the degree of the social interaction. These also influence the reality of social tension. However, structural discourses expressed through language in terms of structure also cause social tension. This situation stigmatizes and marginalizes individuals through thoughts and expressions. In this respect, a previously conducted study had determined demographic indicators such as gender, age, education level, and economic development to affect social inclusion through macro indicators (Narlı & Özaşçılar, 2020, p. 319). The current study understood that the discourses containing social tension were reflected in the Syrians’ expressions and that the problems that emerged regarding the micro-structural indicators affected the communication process. Therefore, the determination has been made that the barriers in the communication process cannot be considered separately from the micro-structural indicators.
In this respect, the findings obtained as a result of the research show that social problems exist in the spatial domain. In addition, the discourses expressed through language in terms of structure deepen these themes. While this situation is reflected in thoughts, approaching immigrants without stigmatizing, or marginalizing them is important in terms of resolving the problems.
