Syrian Refugees in Duhok City: Socioeconomic and Sociocultural Integration of Refugees

Abstract

The conflict erupted in Syria in 2011, and the situation since that time is continuously deteriorating, while the factors of the conflict and its groups are increasing. The subject of this study are the problems that Syrian people living in Duhok  city center experience in the context of econ, socio-cultural integration and the factors that lead to cultural conflict between the locals of Duhok city center and the Syrians.

 In order to uncover these issues, studies and observations from the first did week of August until the last week of September 2022 in the city neighborhoods (Malta, city center, Masik,etc), where the Syrians constitute a significant part of the population, During the study we did an opportunity to interview and talk with both the locals and Syrians. Within the study’s framework, between 5- 10 focus group interviews did conduct with 5- 10 non-governmental organizations and 5-10 Syrian people.

In addition, face to face interviews will conduct with the leaders of the neighborhoods where the Syrians live. 125 residents of Duhok city center and 125 Syrian people did also interview in order to discover the local society’s perceptions of Syrians. Thus an attempt did to determine with fieldwork-based interview technique the problems faced by Syrians in the context of economic-socio conflict and integration. The field research did enriched by drawing on researchers’ previous field experience and previous studies conducted in the area. The analyses also indicated that selecting a study case in the Egyptian society was fundamentally due to the convergence of customs, traditions, and values which contributed to the efficiency of positive readiness to social participation, composition of social networks, and social interaction in daily life practices. The previous finding resulted in reproducing the Habitus (system) of immigrants who have acquired the customs, values, traditions, and culture of the recipient society on the one hand, and created new positive activities on the other hand that served as their symbolic capital as )P. Bourdieu( argues in his theory of practice. This resulted in re-producing social structure and in reinforcing the sense of inclusion in spite of the existence of some obstacles in the physical aspects especially in the variables of residence, education, and health.