Countering the Deficit: An Exploration of Syrian Refugees' Perceptions of the Purposes of Education in Emergencies

Abstract

The Syrian conflict that erupted in 2011 has led to one of the largest humanitarian crises in recent history, resulting in 6.8 million Syrian refugees globally. Despite the efforts of the international community, roughly one third of Syrian refugee children are still not in school, making access to education a critical focus of international response. The field of education in emergencies (EiE) focuses on providing access to schools for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations, including refugees, and views refugee education as having three main purposes: to fill gaps in immediate humanitarian aid, build human capital, and fulfill a human right. However, these three purposes do not holistically represent refugees’ perspectives and reflect a deficit view of refugees that sees refugees as passive recipients of aid. In this dissertation study, I aim to challenge the deficit narrative and encourage an asset-based approach to refugee education that is grounded in refugees’ perspectives and experiences. A theoretical framework combining Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth theory and agency and empowerment theories, including Sen’s (1999) capability approach, was used to frame this research from an asset-based perspective and explore the ways that refugees use their strengths and agency to realize their educational values. Research questions that guide this dissertation include: How do Syrian refugees perceive the purposes of education? What gaps exist between their perceived purposes of education and their educational experiences during displacement? To what extent are Syrian refugees able to draw on their community cultural wealth to realize their perceptions of the purposes of education? To answer these questions, a qualitative narrative inquiry approach was used. Data collection consisted of interviews with eight Syrian refugees who went to school while displaced, but are now resettled in Canada, and explored their experiences of education during displacement, the challenges they faced, what strengths they used to overcome challenges, and their perceptions of the purposes of education. The findings of the study reveal that while there is some overlap between refugees’ perceptions and the three purposes of education outlined by the EiE field, participants’ perspectives additionally reflect more holistic purposes of education that focus on building relationships and helping others. The holistic purposes of education revealed in this research emphasize the importance of having a foundation of love, care, and connection to self and others in education. Additionally, this research highlights that while refugees use their community cultural wealth to exercise their agency and realize their educational values, refugees’ individual assets and agency are limited by political, economic, and social structural barriers. The findings of this study reveal that the EiE field needs to pursue some fundamental shifts to acknowledge and include the holistic and relational purposes of education, adopt an asset-based perspective of refugees, and address oppressive systems that limit refugees’ agency.