A Phenomenology of Syrian Refugee Youths Living in the United States
General Material Designation
[Thesis]
First Statement of Responsibility
Farkas, Emma J.
Subsequent Statement of Responsibility
Bothne, Nancy J.
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
2019
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item
102
DISSERTATION (THESIS) NOTE
Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree
Psy.D.
Body granting the degree
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Text preceding or following the note
2019
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
In February of 2011, the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II began. The arrests of numerous youth in Daraa, Syria sparked outrage and protests across the country. The government responded by killing countless Syrian civilians. In 2013, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, arrived in Syria and seized Raqqa, a city in the north. Conflict and violence has continued throughout the nation ever since, resulting in 5,622,358 registered Syrian refugees. The mental health field is just beginning to understand the consequences that war and displacement can have on individuals, particularly youth. The existing literature on the experiences of refugee children, particularly those from Middle Eastern nations, is very limited. The purpose of this dissertation study is to explore the lived experiences of Syrian youth who have survived war and displacement. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis, three major themes emerged. Sense of loss as a theme captures the various experiences the participants had in which major pieces of their worlds were lost. Change in identity as a theme includes the ways in which the participants experienced a change in their ideas of self throughout their journeys to a new world. Lastly, resiliency as a theme is comprised of the ways in which the participants are displaying hope and flexibility throughout their experiences thus far. A discussion of the themes, clinical implications, limitations, and future directions will be addressed.