Factors to Consider in Syrian Refugee Families' Journeys to Social Inclusion: A Literature Review

Abstract

This paper offers a review of the research literature on the experiences of young children and their families who left Syria as refugees and resettled in Canada. We identify five key factors that influence Syrian refugees’ experience of social inclusion within the context of the public-school systems as well as unveil the silences in and across the current studies. The five factors are pre-arrival experiences, mental health, social supports, acquisition of English language skills, and lack of preparedness of teachers and schools. Based on limited availability of research, we outline needed research to better understand social inclusion of Syrian refugee families with young children in Canada. There is a call to pay particular attention to their educational and social encounters.

Rebuilding life after migration: Research protocol of a mixed methods study on settlement experiences of refugee and migrant youth

“…Much of the literature on migration and its impact on mental health has focused on traumarelated psychopathology, neglecting the broader psychological, familial, social, and cultural dimensions of the settlement experience [27,28]. However, during the last decade there has been growth in research investigating the socio-cultural factors that provide support and protection for young people in settlement [29], with growing recognition of the intersection of social support and other social determinants of health during settlement [30][31][32][33]. For young people, experiences within the broader society, at school or in social settings, combine with experiences within the family to impact mental health and wellbeing [34][35][36][37].…”

Thinking With Perplexities in the Context of Social Inclusion, Refugees, and Schools: Methodological Learnings

“…Given that Canada welcomes refugee families with young children, increasing numbers of children with refugee experiences are entering into Canada’s public education system (Levi, 2019; Tweedie et al, 2017). In increasingly diverse Canadian classrooms, teachers are pushed to compose socially inclusive spaces within their schools and classrooms (Dodd et al, 2021; Tweedie et al, 2017). The limited available research suggests that Canadian teachers often feel overwhelmed and unprepared to address the complex needs of a growing population of refugee students (Hadfield et al, 2017; Walker & Zuberi, 2020; Yohani et al, 2019).…”