The challenges of integration for Arab Syrian refugees into the Turkish state education system since 2016 have been well documented in the literature, often from a rights-based or policy analysis perspective. This qualitative study seeks to articulate more fully the particular issues facing Dom and Abdal refugee communities from Syria who are minorities within the bigger minority group in Turkey, the Roma. Very few empirical studies examining the reasons for early drop-out rates, underachievement and lack of parental engagement in schools for the Roma community in Turkey, whether settled or refugee, have been found. The main research question is to explore the way educational challenges for Dom and Abdal children are framed in Turkish media and by non-governmental organisation (NGO) workers in the field. The study brings together factors facing Roma groups generally and Arab Syrian refugees, suggesting that Dom and Abdals face double discrimination due to their status as Roma and migrant. The study synthesises a thematic analysis of Turkish news articles from the last two years, with semi-structured interviews with Roma and refugee NGO workers in the field. The data are interpreted through the lens of Bourdieu’s notions of habitus and social reproduction in order to shed new light on the exclusionary processes that continue to affect refugee and settled Dom and Abdal groups in Turkey. It is suggested that the mono-cultural nature of the Turkish education system operates as an exclusionary habitus which prevents Roma minority groups from accessing and achieving in school. Generational discrimination and entrenched poverty are also found to be key factors in educational exclusion. The role of tradition, narrative and reclaiming the term ‘gypsy’ within Roma minority cultures is discussed as a way of retaining dignity and avoiding victimhood.

1. The challenges of accessing primary education for
minority Roma children from Dom and Abdal
settled and refugee communities in Turkey
Philippa MacDonald
University College London, UK
IDSP Competition 2020
London, 23 July 2020
© Kerry Lammi

2. The Abdal and Dom are…
 minorities within the larger Roma
minority whose population is estimated
between 500,000 to 5 million
(European Roma Rights Centre 2013)
 settled communities who are Turkish
citizens, present since Byzantine times
 refugee minorities from Syria in
Turkey since 2011. 3.6 million Syrian
refugees (UNHCR 2020) but ethnically
disaggregated figures unavailable
Research is exploratory and
descriptive to find reasons why Dom and
Abdal children are often not accessing
school at all or dropping out early

3. Research framework
How are the educational challenges affecting Dom and
Abdal children
a) framed in Turkish news articles between 2018 -
2020 (RQ1)
b) defined by expert informants working in the field
(RQ2)?
Qualitative, social constructionist approach
Primary data: text, recorded interviews, video
Conceptual framework: Bourdieu’s (1990) ‘habitus’ and social
reproduction

4. Data collection
Data set
 16 Turkish newspaper articles between 2018 – 2020 (DC1)
 4 semi-structured, qualitative interviews on whatsapp/ zoom (DC2)
 3 you-tube interviews with the head of Roma rights activist group (DC2)
Sampling methods
 For news articles - progressive theoretical sampling (Althiede et al 2013 )
 Interviews – voluntary participation based on connections made through
Gaziantep refugee education centre

5. Data Analysis
 Thematic document analysis (DA1)
 Protocols created, see example below (Altheide et al
2013) (DA1)
 Thematic content analysis: transcription, translation
and coding (DA2)
Newspaper
name/date
Local/national
Political
spectrum
Who/ what is the article
about?
Actors given space
Education and
related issues
identified
How are actors
described?
Word choice
– + or neutral
Perspective or bias of
writer?
Purpose of article
Hurriyet
National/ gov pub.
6/1/2020
MEB leader’s words
Gov programme to help children
register for state schools. Facts and
figures
600,000 Syrian children in state
system
UNICEF – international orgs
No quotes or stories from refugees
themselves.
Many refugee children still
not integrated into the
state system.
Lots of effort needed
because of cultural,
language challenges
Correct terminology
Multeci, Suriyeli
çocuklar (not çingene)
sığnan çocuklar
kaybetmek istemiyoruz
Buyuk çaba (big effort)
To show how much the state ed
system is doing to help refugees.
In last 6 years Turkey has taken
in more refugees than any other
country
Shows national effort,
government bias

6. Findings:
Exclusionary
processes affecting
Dom and Abdal
children’s education
 F1: Roma minority groups, settled and refugee are
excluded from national media discourses,
although local news outlets are more sympathetic.
 F 1: Lack of access to education framed as Roma or
refugee deficiency rather than a state responsibility.
 F2: Refugee hierarchy with Roma minority
communities facing the most discrimination.
 F2: Roma minorities are excluded from the mono-
ethnic, mono-lingual ‘habitus’ of Turkish schools.
 F3: Poverty is entrenched and generationally
reproducing.
Limitation: Translation from Turkish to English
Recommendation: Multi-cultural teacher training
needed

7. References
Altheide, D. Schneider, C. (2013) Qualitative Media Analysis Sage Research
Methods
 Bourdieu, P., Passeron, J. (1990b) Reproduction in Education, Society and Culture
 Kaya, N. (2015) Discrimination based on colour, ethnic origin, language and
religion in The Turkish education System. Minority Rights Group International
report
 Makovsky, A. (2019) Turkey’s Refugee Dilemma – Tiptoeing towards
Integration,
Yildiz, Y. Y. (2015) Nowhere to Turn: The Situation of Dom Refugees from Syria in
Turkey Goldsmith’s College research online,

8. Reasons for
funding this
research
The research highlights:
 the work of Roma activist NGOs in the
field who are campaigning for
educational inclusion policies at
government level
 the need for multicultural training for
teachers in state schools
 the need for further empirical research
on the particular challenges faced by
Roma minority refugee groups to
increase their access to education