From Roots to Routes: Transnational Spaces and Identities of Syrian Youth Within Everyday Geographies of Istanbul

Abstract

This article highlights the importance of understanding migration beyond past and present negotiations, arguing that Syrian students' everyday geographies are crucial for negotiating the future, contributing to the ongoing discourse on spatiality and migration studies. Space-based interactions are constructing the future of young migrants both within national and international contexts. This study utilized virtual ethnographies, in-depth interviews, and participant observations in Istanbul to explore the everyday experiences of Syrian students, providing insights into their future and current routes. It employs Massey's concepts of routes and roots, recognizing the duality between them from sociological and human geographical perspectives. It is discussed that understanding roots and routes can be achieved through an intersectional approach that integrates religion, education, age, and gender. This research study argues that categorizing students as local or global is insufficient due to the intertwining of perceptions of space with local and global dynamics in the context of multiple identities.