Syrians in Canada, Germany, Turkey, and the United States
Subsequent Statement of Responsibility
Adelman, Robert
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
State University of New York at Buffalo
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
2019
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item
171
DISSERTATION (THESIS) NOTE
Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree
Ph.D.
Body granting the degree
State University of New York at Buffalo
Text preceding or following the note
2019
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
How are possibilities of refugee integration shaped within different policy and national contexts? Why do refugees in one host country perceive a better future for themselves than refugees in another host country? I address these questions with a comparative design: I focus on Syrian refugees displaced since 2011, and I compare their integration experiences in Canada, Germany, Turkey, and the United States. I seek to understand the mechanisms that explain the possibilities and pathways of refugee integration. I aim to find out what works best in different countries, and why. Drawing on 130 in-depth interviews (98 with refugees and 32 with key informants), I identify three main dimensions of refugee integration experiences: (1) socio-economic, (2) legal, and (3) cultural/political. These dimensions interact with each other, and experiences of integration vary along the lines of gender, age, marital status, and social and cultural capital as well. I find that when refugees believe their legal status and future in one place is uncertain, when they perceive a loss of economic and/or cultural capital, and when they feel unwelcome, their beliefs about their prospects of integration decline sharply. Their expectations for successful integration increase when refugees perceive a supportive environment from the native-born population suggesting that refugee policies should move beyond the provision of permanent legal status and basic welfare support. This dissertation contributes to the literature by using an international comparative perspective with qualitative data, by introducing Turkey from the Global South into the comparative picture, and by exploring the integration experiences of refugees rather than conventional immigrants.