An analysis of anti-Syrian’s signature campaign in Türkiye: The cases from Change.org

This study aims to examine the individual actions taken against Syrian immigrant through online signature campaigns launched on the Change.org website and their role in inciting hate speech and related crimes in Türkiye. These campaigns represent one of the largest anti-immigrant petitions globally....

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Main Author: Şükrü Şimdi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Istanbul University Press 2023-12-01
Series:Connectist Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/5E65B9F39AD848ACB75800D73F54ED54
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author Şükrü Şimdi
author_facet Şükrü Şimdi
author_sort Şükrü Şimdi
collection DOAJ
description This study aims to examine the individual actions taken against Syrian immigrant through online signature campaigns launched on the Change.org website and their role in inciting hate speech and related crimes in Türkiye. These campaigns represent one of the largest anti-immigrant petitions globally. To collect the data, a basic search was conducted on the Change.org website using the keyword ‘Syrian(s),’ which yielded 154 signature campaigns. Campaign texts were analyzed thematically through the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The main themes identified were the stigmatization of Syrian identity in virtual spaces, the reproduction of stereotypes within migrants, guest discourse, and cultural racism. The findings indicate that the campaigns frequently employ discriminatory stereotypical categories, portraying Syrians as an economic burden, potential/imaginary enemies, not willing to integrate, betrayers of their homeland, fleers from the war, and even terrorists. The expression of Syrian(s) is framed as a stigmatized and ethnicized group identity rather than a social identification, mainly reflecting on Syrian men as being immoral and fleeing from war. The results also show that this identity is equipped with a hegemonic masculinity construct over a gendered perception.
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spelling doaj-art-e7fc9e7ec7f2476a9f240a809250ff312025-08-20T03:11:11ZengIstanbul University PressConnectist Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences2636-89432023-12-016510913310.26650/CONNECTIST2023-1274115123456An analysis of anti-Syrian’s signature campaign in Türkiye: The cases from Change.orgŞükrü Şimdi0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7094-1146Ege Üniversitesi, Izmir, TurkiyeThis study aims to examine the individual actions taken against Syrian immigrant through online signature campaigns launched on the Change.org website and their role in inciting hate speech and related crimes in Türkiye. These campaigns represent one of the largest anti-immigrant petitions globally. To collect the data, a basic search was conducted on the Change.org website using the keyword ‘Syrian(s),’ which yielded 154 signature campaigns. Campaign texts were analyzed thematically through the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The main themes identified were the stigmatization of Syrian identity in virtual spaces, the reproduction of stereotypes within migrants, guest discourse, and cultural racism. The findings indicate that the campaigns frequently employ discriminatory stereotypical categories, portraying Syrians as an economic burden, potential/imaginary enemies, not willing to integrate, betrayers of their homeland, fleers from the war, and even terrorists. The expression of Syrian(s) is framed as a stigmatized and ethnicized group identity rather than a social identification, mainly reflecting on Syrian men as being immoral and fleeing from war. The results also show that this identity is equipped with a hegemonic masculinity construct over a gendered perception.https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/5E65B9F39AD848ACB75800D73F54ED54syrian identitystigmatizationstereotypescultural racismchange. org
spellingShingle Şükrü Şimdi
An analysis of anti-Syrian’s signature campaign in Türkiye: The cases from Change.org
Connectist Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences
syrian identity
stigmatization
stereotypes
cultural racism
change. org
title An analysis of anti-Syrian’s signature campaign in Türkiye: The cases from Change.org
title_full An analysis of anti-Syrian’s signature campaign in Türkiye: The cases from Change.org
title_fullStr An analysis of anti-Syrian’s signature campaign in Türkiye: The cases from Change.org
title_full_unstemmed An analysis of anti-Syrian’s signature campaign in Türkiye: The cases from Change.org
title_short An analysis of anti-Syrian’s signature campaign in Türkiye: The cases from Change.org
title_sort analysis of anti syrian s signature campaign in turkiye the cases from change org
topic syrian identity
stigmatization
stereotypes
cultural racism
change. org
url https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/5E65B9F39AD848ACB75800D73F54ED54
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