THE MEANING OF WAR AND PEACE FOR THE MIGRANT SYRIAN STUDENTS AT TERTIARY LEVEL IN TURKEY: AN ART-BASED STUDY

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the definition of war and peace by the migrantSyrian students at tertiary level; their image of war via their artistic drawings, as well as toreveal their expectations from peace. For this purpose, the study was conducted in the 2018-2019 academic year with an art-based research approach, employing art as a method, a formof analysis and as an object. The participants comprised 25 Syrian students between the agerange of 17-20 years old who emigrated from Syrian war zones to Turkey. The analysis of thedata focused on the definitions of war and peace, Syrian students’ drawings, and their verbalexpressions about the drawings that help develop an analytical framework. The findings ofthe study demonstrated that most of the drawings reflected real images of war and peace; theparticipants rendered both visual and verbal symbolizations as the main expression of theirsuffering during the war and longing for peace. The drawings provided clues that could helpthem cope with the possible traumatic incidents they could experience at the present or in thefuture, and preserve their identity destructed by factors out of their control.