Behavioural patterns in the social space of camps in northwest Syria and their impact on the social and political socialisation of residents

Armed conflicts that arise within states create many problems at every level: political, social, economic and even cultural. The repercussions of these problems are most evident when individuals have suffered forced displacement within territorial borders (internal) or to neighbouring countries (external). A large percentage of both the internally and externally displaced, who lack the means to relocate within existing urban areas, end up in camps, which, in terms of their physical or social structure, create significantly different spaces to those they knew prior to displacement. These spaces, of often protracted displacement, include new social, political, economic, and cultural features affecting social behaviour. This research will study the as yet ill-defined behavioural patterns of camp residents in northwest Syria, as influenced by the camp social space and conditions, including dependency and rejection, as well as their impact on social and political socialisation, to inform and enhance the effectiveness of processes to reintegrate camp residents back into urban environments.