Navigating symbolic violence: the experiences of international students of Middle Eastern-Islamic origin in Turkish higher education
International Journal of Inclusive Education, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1080/13603116.2026.2669801
- Journal Name: International Journal of Inclusive Education
- Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center)
- Keywords: Higher education, international student, learning disabilities, spiral of silence, symbolic violence, xenophobia
- Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University Affiliated: No
Abstract
This study aims to explore the issue of symbolic violence faced by international students of Middle Eastern-Islamic origin in Turkish universities. It further investigates the strategies these students use to confront and combat the violence they encounter. The research employed qualitative methods and conducted semi-structured interviews with thirteen international students. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the gathered data. The findings of this study underscore the persistent and pervasive nature of symbolic violence experienced by Middle Eastern-Islamic students. This violence is driven by cultural disparities, orientalist perspectives, and xenophobia, and is perpetuated by both faculty members and local students. As a result, students resort to negative coping mechanisms, such as silence, social isolation, and shared experiences. The study also highlights the ways in which symbolic violence manifests, primarily through language and behaviour. Faculty members and their Turkish peers are intrinsically tied to hierarchical relationship dynamics that manifest in various ways. When Middle Eastern-Islamic students conform to the established hierarchy and internalise it, they inadvertently perpetuate the hierarchical dynamics that categorise them as ‘the other’.