‘Blood Doesn’t Become Water’? Syrian Social Relations during Displacement

Michelle Lokot

doi:10.1093/jrs/fey059

Abstract

AbstractHumanitarian discourses emphasize that displacement results in disruptions to family structures. This article challenges simplistic descriptions of change during displacement, highlighting the powerful role of the family in Middle Eastern societies through an anthropological exploration of social relations among Syrian refugees in Jordan. It contributes to academic analysis on social relations among refugees by presenting a more mixed picture of social dynamics within and outside the family—both before conflict and during displacement. It explores how the hold of the family among Syrians may limit social interactions with ‘outsiders’ during displacement, as well as how displacement may offer opportunities for tighter social regulations to be unravelled. These findings highlight that social relations among refugees must be analysed more carefully, and with consideration of intersectional power dynamics.

Highlights

Scholars have documented the prevailing power of the family in the Middle East context (Joseph 1999; Hopkins 2003; Dahlgren 2008; Hudson 2008; Rabo 2008), highlighting that, within this region, the family forms ‘the bedrock of an individual’s identity’ (El Guindi 1999: 164)
It is assumed that men alone provided for their families in Syria, that war has resulted in women having more responsibilities and that this has negatively impacted men’s self-esteem (Oxfam and ABAAD 2013: 14; Women’s Refugee Commission 2014: 1; Buecher and Aniyamuzaala 2016: 4)—without recognition that this narrative does not apply to all Syrians and needs to be contextualized based on class, education status and even location
It builds on literature regarding Syrian social relations, contributing to the work of Rabo on the variations within families in Syria (2008: 131–135), suggesting that the expectations for relationships may shift in certain situations, providing opportunities for non-familial bonds to be formed

Summary

Introduction

Scholars have documented the prevailing power of the family in the Middle East context (Joseph 1999; Hopkins 2003; Dahlgren 2008; Hudson 2008; Rabo 2008), highlighting that, within this region, the family forms ‘the bedrock of an individual’s identity’ (El Guindi 1999: 164). Analysis of social relationships in the context of the Syrian Crisis has drawn attention to the shared familial, cultural and linguistic ties between Syrians and Jordanians (Achilli 2016: 8) and the support provided by Palestinian to Syrian refugees (Sharif 2018). This article explores how Syrian women and men in Jordan challenge and uphold familial ties It suggests that the power of the family in shaping social relations and the diversity of experiences among Syrians needs to be better understood by academic scholars as well as humanitarian agencies and governments. The article begins by detailing fieldwork methods in Jordan and presenting the context of the ‘Syria Crisis’ It explores familial relationships during displacement, suggesting that these dynamics are entrenched and highly complex. Some humanitarian agencies have documented reports of harassment of Syrian refugees and violence between Jordanians and Syrians (Mercy Corps 2012; UN Women 2013)

Familial Relations during Displacement

Negative Familial Dynamics during Displacement

Competitiveness and Helping Others

Blood versus Water

Findings

Conclusion