Eighth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

After over a decade of conflict in Syria, more than 14 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes. Türkiye continues to host the largest number of Syrians; currently, 3.8 million are under temporary protection. Even though they face many situations that do not befit human dignity these processes are not covered much in the media. With immigration that brings different cultures together, negative features are generally attributed to foreigners. Being a woman duplicates the issue through gender and immigrant status. This study claims that Syrian women experience dual otherness and are represented in news reports through objectification. Therefore critical discourse analysis is used to analyze different newspapers selected through their circulation. 301 news reports were collected from Cumhuriyet, Sözcü, Hürriyet, Sabah, and Yeni Şafak newspapers published between 2015-2018. The period is important as it is a transition process of social cohesion. The research claims that representing Syrian women through their fertility rates, becoming second wives (kuma) and detailed descriptions of their death destroys visibility which will cause women to be ignored by society. By comparing the different newspapers my study sheds light on the stereotypes and biases of Syrian women established by discourses.

Presenters

Meri Merve Miettinen
Project Coordinator, General Directorate on the Status of Women, Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Family Affairs and Social Services, Turkey