The Role of Higher Education in the Construction of a New Social Network for Syrian Youth: The Case of Ankara

Abstract

As a result of the forced migration from Syria to Turkey, which began in 2011, the prolonged stay of Syrians and their processes of establishing a new life and integrating into society have been examined in the literature from various perspectives. Studies on Syrian migration have explored the social capital of migrants, particularly in terms of kinship and friendship networks that facilitate migration and settlement. However, how migrants access social networks as a source of social capital and how they establish new connections within the host society have not been sufficiently investigated. This article examines the access of Syrian youth, who have arrived in Turkey due to forced migration, to social networks in their new society and the role of higher education in their social capital formation. In this context, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants (4 women, 6 men) who are associate, undergraduate, and graduate students in higher education in Ankara. The collected data were thematically analyzed using the Maxqda software. The field research revealed that various factors, such as language proficiency and personal characteristics, play a significant role in Syrian youth’s access to new networks in higher education. It was observed that through higher education, Syrian youth go beyond their ethnic networks and establish new connections. The findings also indicate that, influenced by forced migration, the bonding ties of Syrian youth are generally limited, whereas the newly formed weak social networks serve as a mechanism providing opportunities and information, offering greater support to Syrian youth in higher education.

Keywords

• Migration Sociology

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References

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Cite this publication

@article{yildirim2025role,
  author = {Yildirim, Duygu {\c{S}}erife},
  title = {{The Role of Higher Education in the Construction of a New Social Network for Syrian Youth: The Case of Ankara}},
  journal = {Hacettepe University Journal of the Faculty of Letters},
  volume = {43},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1--16},
  publisher = {Hacettepe {\"U}niversitesi},
  year = {2025},
  month = {3},
  issn = {1301-5737},
  doi = {10.32600/huefd.1662584},
  url = {https://hacettepe.hbtech.com.tr/en/publication/suriyeli-genclerin-yeni-sosyal-ag-insasinda-yuksekogretimin-rolu-ankara-ornegi},
  language = {tr},
  keywords = {Migration Sociology},
  abstract = {As a result of the forced migration from Syria to Turkey, which began in 2011, the prolonged stay of Syrians and their processes of establishing a new life and integrating into society have been examined in the literature from various perspectives. Studies on Syrian migration have explored the social capital of migrants, particularly in terms of kinship and friendship networks that facilitate migration and settlement. However, how migrants access social networks as a source of social capital and how they establish new connections within the host society have not been sufficiently investigated. This article examines the access of Syrian youth, who have arrived in Turkey due to forced migration, to social networks in their new society and the role of higher education in their social capital formation. In this context, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants (4 women, 6 men) who are associate, undergraduate, and graduate students in higher education in Ankara. The collected data were thematically analyzed using the Maxqda software. The field research revealed that various factors, such as language proficiency and personal characteristics, play a significant role in Syrian youth's access to new networks in higher education. It was observed that through higher education, Syrian youth go beyond their ethnic networks and establish new connections. The findings also indicate that, influenced by forced migration, the bonding ties of Syrian youth are generally limited, whereas the newly formed weak social networks serve as a mechanism providing opportunities and information, offering greater support to Syrian youth in higher education.},
  affiliation = {HACETTEPE {\"U}N{\.I}VERS{\.I}TES{\.I}}
}

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AB  - As a result of the forced migration from Syria to Turkey, which began in 2011, the prolonged stay of Syrians and their processes of establishing a new life and integrating into society have been examined in the literature from various perspectives. Studies on Syrian migration have explored the social capital of migrants, particularly in terms of kinship and friendship networks that facilitate migration and settlement. However, how migrants access social networks as a source of social capital and how they establish new connections within the host society have not been sufficiently investigated. This article examines the access of Syrian youth, who have arrived in Turkey due to forced migration, to social networks in their new society and the role of higher education in their social capital formation. In this context, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants (4 women, 6 men) who are associate, undergraduate, and graduate students in higher education in Ankara. The collected data were thematically analyzed using the Maxqda software. The field research revealed that various factors, such as language proficiency and personal characteristics, play a significant role in Syrian youth’s access to new networks in higher education. It was observed that through higher education, Syrian youth go beyond their ethnic networks and establish new connections. The findings also indicate that, influenced by forced migration, the bonding ties of Syrian youth are generally limited, whereas the newly formed weak social networks serve as a mechanism providing opportunities and information, offering greater support to Syrian youth in higher education.
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