Hegemonic Activism? Social Media Campaigns Concerning Syrian Refugee Women Facilitated by Informal Activists and NGO Organizations in Jordan

• In Event: So Far, So Good, Part 1: Organizational Communication Research Escalator

Abstract

This research began with following a Facebook campaign primarily focused on “forced marriages” in Syrian refugee camps. This paper investigates how the online activist organizations regarding Syrian refugee women is translated to the offline sphere, and if the online activism reflects the real concerns of the refugee women. Using grounded theory methodology, I collected over thirty hours of data generated from interviews with activists and refugee women in addition to collecting ethnographic field notes through field visits to Zaatari refugee camp and Amman's outskirts in Jordan. In compiling my preliminary findings, my research confirms that social media campaigns by informal and NGO organizations play a similar role to conventional media in promoting stereotypical and/or hegemonic understanding of Syrian refugee women issues. At the same time, my fieldwork makes visible online and offline activist organizations that are actually meeting the needs of Syrian women refugees by working with them.

Author

• Katty Alhayek, Ohio University