Social psychological dynamics of migrant women employment: The experiences of displaced Syrian women in Turkey

In this paper, we examine the social and psychological factors associated with the well-being of Syrian women who migrated to Turkey due to the Syrian civil war, both employing in a paid job and non-employing. For this purpose, semi-structured, in-depth, face-to-face interviews in their mother tongue were carried out with 25 participants. The thematic analysis method was applied to the data, following the guidelines suggested by Braun and Clarke (2006). The well-being of Syrian refugee women was found to be related to two main clusters, which emerged as themes from the analyses: (a) Attitudes of Syrian refugee women and their close relatives toward women's employment; and (b) working conditions and/or domestic responsibilities. The results show that having good working conditions, being supported by family, and being involved in social life positively contributed to the well-being of employed refugee women. Unfavorable working conditions, perceived gender and ethnic discrimination, and negative attitudes of family members toward women working, on the other hand, were found to have a detrimental impact on their well-being. Regarding non-employing women, barriers such as domestic responsibilities and the negative attitudes of spouses that restrain them from working in a paid job or being involved in social life appeared to have a negative impact on their well-being. We discussed our findings in light of the literature.

Automated summary

This study examines the factors associated with the well-being of Syrian women who migrated to Turkey due to the civil war. Interviews were conducted with 25 participants and thematic analysis was applied to the data. The findings suggest that attitudes towards women's employment and working conditions/domestic responsibilities are key factors affecting the well-being of refugee women.