A Double-Edged Sword? The Role of Digital Technologies in Marriage and Divorce Among Syrian Refugees in Northern Jordan

Authors

  • Ruba Al Akash Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies Center, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0908-0671
  • Marina de Regt Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Frije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7325-9705
  • Siham Al Masri Research Assistant at the SRHR Jordan project Syrian Refugee Youth in Jordan: Early Marriages in Perspective.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25071/1920-7336.41071

Keywords:

refugees, marriage, divorce, digital technologies, mobile phones, forced migration

Abstract

This paper explores how young Syrian refugees in Jordan who have grown up using information and new communication technologies are using the internet as a private space where emotions and practices regarding intimate and marital life are expressed. We explore how new technologies and social media are influencing refugees’ perceptions and experiences of marriage and divorce during displacement. Based on in-depth interviews with rural Syrian women from Deraa province living in northern Jordan, our research sheds light on the multi-faceted ways these women embrace emerging technologies. Furthermore, we demonstrate how technology influences gender-specific narratives and practices around marriage and divorce

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Author Biographies

Ruba Al Akash, Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies Center, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan

Ruba Al Akash is a Director of the Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies Center at Yarmouk University in Jordan. She can be reached at ruba.akash@yu.edu.jo.

Marina de Regt, Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Frije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Marina de Regt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the Frije Universiteit Amsterdam. She can be reached at m.c.de.regt@vu.nl.

Siham Al Masri, Research Assistant at the SRHR Jordan project Syrian Refugee Youth in Jordan: Early Marriages in Perspective.

Siham Al Masri was a Research Assistant at the SRHR Jordan project Syrian Refugee Youth in Jordan: Early Marriages in Perspective. She can be reached at rubaabd@hotmail.com.

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Published

2024-05-21

How to Cite

Al Akash, R., de Regt, M., & Al Masri, S. (2024). A Double-Edged Sword? The Role of Digital Technologies in Marriage and Divorce Among Syrian Refugees in Northern Jordan. Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees, 40(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.25071/1920-7336.41071

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