Parameters for remaking home interiors in forced migration: An example of Syrians living in Sultanbeyli

Abstract

Since March 2011, Turkey has hosted millions of Syrians, who have been subjected to forced migration due to the civil war and conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic. Most Syrians living in Turkey have settled in disadvantaged areas of big cities, such as shantytowns or slums. This study focuses on displaced Syrians living in the district of Sultanbeyli, which is an old slum area that hosts the highest number of Syrians on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, and discusses Syrians’ homemaking process for home interiors. The aim of this study is to reveal the parameters for Syrian’s remaking home interiors. The case study was conducted in the home environments of 18 Syrian families belonging to middle- or low-income groups who voluntarily participated. Data were collected using visual and ethnographic methods. Photographs, drawings, mapping, and annotated diagrams were used in the analysis of visual data, and content analysis was used for interview questions. Thus, the data were obtained regarding family structure, lifestyle, activities, spatial organization, furniture layout, needs, preferences, choices, and desires for home interiors. The results revealed that cultural, social, behavioral, psychological, spatial, aesthetic, symbolic, and economic parameters play an important role in the process of remaking home interiors for displaced Syrians. The study will expand the sharing of knowledge and experience for future studies in terms of rethinking the design, meaning, and use of home in forced migration. It will also contribute to the literature with a case study from Turkey.