Bibliometric analysis of graduate theses on social adaptation of Syrian refugees

Abstract

It was not expected that the results of the civil war that started in Syria in 2011 would affect the whole world so much. In the last ten years, approximately 6.6 million people from Syria had to migrate to other countries, especially neighboring countries. Turkey has become the country hosting the highest number of Syrians as a result of its historical proximity, geographical location and state policies. According to the June 2023 data of the Directorate of Migration Management, the number of Syrians under temporary protection status in Turkey is 3 million 351 thousand 582 people. As the number of Syrians increases, there is an increase in integration problems with the local people. In this context, studies in the academic field have increased. In this study, master’s and doctoral theses published in the Higher Education Institution (YÖK) on the social adaptation of Syrian refugees in Turkey were examined. The study covers the bibliometric analysis of the postgraduate theses in the field of social cohesion of Syrians and aims to reveal the inadequacy of the studies in this field and the need to increase the number of them. In line with the information obtained from the YÖK data, a research was conducted on the social cohesion of Syrians in the form of “Syrian harmony, social cohesion, integration, adaptation” in relation to postgraduate education. As a result of the examinations carried out between 2012 and 2022, 76 master’s and 8 doctoral theses on Syrians were identified. The issue of social cohesion is among the most important issues in terms of the welfare, order and future of societies. As a result of the study, the importance of guiding for more work on the social cohesion of Syrians has emerged.