Interwoven Lives: Exploring Social Cohesion of Afghans in Türkiye

Social cohesion is crucial for societal harmony, influencing both individual well-being and community development. This descriptive phenomenological study explores the social cohesion experiences of Afghan refugees in Karaman, Türkiye. In-depth interviews were conducted face-to-face with 26 Afghan adults using a snowball sampling method. Thematic analysis was performed via MAXQDA, following an inductive approach. Our study finds that Afghans develop social relationships primarily within themselves, while social bridges involving local people and social links involving institutions are weak. Among non-Turkish-speaking Afghans, social bonds are a key mechanism for facilitating interactions with local individuals and institutions. However, prejudices and a lack of mutual trust significantly hinder the development of social bridges, thereby constraining social cohesion. Furthermore, the prevailing perception of Afghan refugees as temporary residents results in the absence of targeted social cohesion policies. Social cohesion policies and practices that can increase social contact, including long-term goals, are essential for improving interactions between refugees and local society and institutions and for the peaceful establishment of social order. Our findings highlight the need for long-term, structured social cohesion policies and interventions to foster sustained engagement among refugees, local communities, and institutions for a stable, integrated society.