Aspirations, Capabilities and (Im)mobility of Internal Migrants: Evidence from a Social Survey in and around Damascus in 2017/18

Beschreibung

The violent conflicts in Syria, starting in 2011, have led to forced migration within and outside the country. Increasingly, empirical evidence becomes available on mobility patterns and resources of externally displaced Syrians, but knowledge on those remaining in the country remains fragmented. Our study addresses an important research gap that stems from the scarcity of quantitative data and studies on the population on Syrian territory.
Based on a social survey among adults conducted in the neighborhoods of university students in Damascus and Rif Dimashq in 2017/18, we study the (immobility) of the population residing in this area, and in how far it is determined by their aspirations and capabilities (de Haas 2014), including demographic characteristics, human capital, health, values and attitudes, and emigration intentions. We compare our survey data with available data from pre-war times regarding demographic characteristics and educational attainment in Syria in general as well as specifically in the two governorates Damascus and Rif Dimashq.
Results indicate that the burden of war, displacement and forced mobility is unevenly distributed along social, economic and demographic fault lines, as suggested by the selective group of respondents in Damascus and Rif Dimashq, most of whom stem from the urban, well-educated middle-class, are in good health, and seldom lost close family members. Based on our data, we aim to assess in how far residents’ immobility is (in)voluntary and determined by demographic and structural conditions, in particular socio-economic status, gender, age and health.

Zeitraum	29 Okt. 2020
Ereignistitel	2. NeMIF Tag: Netzwerk Migrations- und Fluchtforschung Bayern
Veranstaltungstyp	Keine Angaben
Bekanntheitsgrad	International