Domesticity and dwelling in displacement: home-making practices of Syrian women in Istanbul houses

Abstract

Combining architectural and cultural anthropological approaches, this study explores the domestic spaces of Syrian women in Istanbul in order to understand how they perform ‘home-making’ in a new social and architectural setting. Scholars who study migration and gender are increasingly interested in studying ‘home,’ but few studies examine migrant women’s spatial agency and how space and time are materialized by looking at past and present homes. Methodologically, we add to standard semi-structured interviews and photographic analysis, the method of mental map drawings of houses in Istanbul and reminisced houses from Syria. These methods allow us to examine interrelated spatio-temporal practices of material culture decorations of the residential interiors and (re)creating of daily routines from Syria within the residential interior. Each of these home-making practices is a form of personalisation, control of space and manner of performing gender roles while increasing contentment and belonging. By decorating with objects from Syria, plants, photos, carefully selected furniture; repurposing guestrooms into spaces of religious practice; and cooking, nurturing family members and hosting friends, women create domestic spaces of comfort. Ultimately, this research showcases how migrant women create homes out of new dwellings, even when they are not able to fully revive what has been lost.

Keywords:

• Domesticity
• gender
• home-making
• migration
• residential interior space
• Turkey/Syria

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all of the migrants who shared their stories with us. They are grateful for the assistance of Randa Qutranji during the interview process.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by a TÜBİTAK 1001 grant (The Scientific and Technological Research Projects Funding Program of Turkey) for the project, ‘Food, Homemaking and Social Integration for Syrian Women in Istanbul, Gaziantep and Hatay’ [Grant No. 122K209, https://foodandmigration.ozyegin.edu.tr/en]. Research was also supported by the European Commission via a Horizon 2020 Grant for the project, ‘RESPOND – Multilevel Governance of Mass Migration in Europe and Beyond’ [Grant No. 770564].

Notes on contributors

Susan Beth Rottmann

Dr. Susan Beth Rottmann is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Özyeğin University in Istanbul, Turkey. A migration expert with 10+ years of research experience, she has published in a wide variety of international peer-reviewed journals, and has authored books and chapters published by Routledge, Springer, Berghahn, Istanbul Bilgi University and Uppsala University Presses. She has received several major research grants from the European Union to study migration, gender, belonging, democracy and citizenship. She is currently a Primary Investigator of the Horizon Europe projects: GAPs De-centring the Study of Migrant Returns and Readmission Policies in Europe and Beyond (2023–26) and OppAttune - Countering Oppositional Political Extremism through Attuned Dialogue: Track, Attune, Limit (2023–2026).

Pınar Sezginalp Özçetin

Dr. Pınar Sezginalp Özçetin obtained her PhD in Architectural History from Middle East Technical University. Since 2018, she is an Asst. Prof. in Özyeğin University Faculty of Architecture and Design, where she instructs in Interior Design Studios and lectures on the History of Architecture, Dwelling and Domesticity, and the History of Modern Architecture and Interior Design in Turkey. Her research interests are the History of Modern Architecture and Interior Design, Dwelling, Domesticity, Home-making, Gender and Architecture, Residential Interiors, Documentation of Modern Interior Architecture in Turkey, and Interior Design Studio Education. Pınar Sezginalp Özçetin is a member of DOCOMOMO Turkey Interiors Committee.