The Relationship between Attitudes towards Asylum Seekers and Compassion Levels of University Students

Abstract

The aim of this study is to adapt the attitude scale towards asylum seekers and refugees to Turkish culture and to examine the relation of university students' attitudes towards asylum seekers to certain personality traits. The study was conducted with the participation of 340 university students. The attitude scales for both asylum seekers and refugees were adapted to Turkish culture and validity and reliability studies were conducted in the study. Findings have shown that they provide the necessary conditions on both scales and can be used as a reliable and valid measuring tool in studies. In addition, students with a high level of compassion, empathy and understanding have been found to have a more positive attitude toward asylum seekers / refugees at a meaningful level. Also, the students studying at the faculty of theology have more positive attitude than the students studying at other faculties. However, the attitude towards asylum seekers / refugees did not differ according to gender. Findings are discussed in the light of the literature.

The Effects of Religiosity and Socioeconomic Status on Social Distance towards Refugees and the Serial Mediating Role of Satisfaction with Life and Perceived Threat

“…Furthermore, theology students show a more positive attitude than students in other faculties. However, there was no gender difference in attitudes towards refugees (Yelpaze and Güler 2018). Based on the literature, the following hypothesis was established.…”

Türk Öğrencilerin Sığınmacı Kavramına Yönelik Algılarının Metaforlar Yoluyla İncelenmesi

“…Öğretmenlerin Mülteci ve Suriyeli öğrencilere yönelik algılarının belirlendiği çalışmalara örnek olarak (Aykırı, 2017;Demirtaş & Mentiş Taş, 2019;Keskin, vd., 2019;Çetin, 2021;Özdoğru, vd., 2021;Sağlam & İlksen Kanbur, 2017;İlksen Kanbur, 2017;Yurdakul & Tok, 2018;Köse, vd., 2019;Tezcan, 2019;Dolapcı, 2019;Kardeş & Akman, 2018) gösterilebilir. Öğretmen adayları ve öğrencilerin Mülteci ve Suriyeli öğrencilere yönelik algılarının belirlendiği çalışmalara örnek olarak ise (Kara, vd., 2016;Sarıtaş, vd., 2016;Durmuş & Baş, 2016;Uzun & Özcan, 2017;Yelpaze & Güler, 2018;Taze & Aktın, 2018;Torun & Demirtaş, 2018;Eminoğlu & Eminoğlu, 2020;Burak & Amaç, 2021) çalışmaları örnek olarak gösterilebilir. Bu çalışmaların; öğretmenler, öğretmen adayları, üniversite öğrencileri ve toplumun farklı kesimlerinden insanların sığınmacı öğrencilere yönelik algı, tutum ve görüşlerinin belirlenmesine yönelik gerçekleştirildiği görülmektedir.…”

“…As a result of the data obtained from the research, it was found that Turkish students' metaphors for the concept of "refugee" were generally positive. When the literature is examined, it has been determined that in the studies conducted with teacher candidates (Yelpaze &Güler, 2018;Demirtaş & Mentiş Taş, 2019;Burak &…”