A pinch of spice: Investigating the social adaptation processes of immigrant women through creative drama

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the processes of change, transformation, and social integration of Syrian refugee women living in Turkey. The research was conducted through four creative drama workshops themed \"A Pinch of Spice.\" Various spices were used metaphorically in interactions with the participant women during the workshops. The workshops were conducted with the participation of 14 Syrian refugee women living in Turkey. Participants addressed cultural diversity, richness, and their experiences of change and transformation through the metaphorical use of various spices during the workshop process. Materials produced by the participants during the workshop sessions and observation notes were used in the data collection process. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. The collected data were analyzed using content analysis, and themes were identified. The research findings indicate that through creative drama workshops, participants developed their emotional expression abilities, progressed in their identity quests, and became more effective in social integration processes. Furthermore, when examining the effects of creative drama workshops on participants, it was observed that these activities enhanced the emotional expression abilities of Syrian refugee women and played a significant role in their identity quests. The use of spice metaphors facilitated and deepened the participants' expression of their own experiences. The interactions during the workshops helped participants establish deeper connections with each other and their inner worlds. Future studies are recommended to examine the long-term effects of creative drama activities on social integration processes in more detail. Additionally, conducting more comprehensive studies involving participants from different cultural groups would provide better insight into how the effects of these activities vary among different groups.