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At the end of 2016, approximately 65.6 million individuals were displaced forcibly around the world because of generalized violence, persecution, violation of human rights, or conflict such as civil war (UNHCR, 2016). The purpose of this study is to: (a) explore Syrian refugees after displacement in the US, (b) give voice to refugee fathers, and (c) advance knowledge for marriage and family therapists, who are working with refugee families. Eight Syrian refugee fathers who were displaced in the last two years and living in Indiana, US shared their experiences through in-depth interviews. After transcribing and translating the interviews, thematic analysis, a flexible research tool that provides a reach and complex account of data, was used to analyze the data. Four main themes emerged from fathers: displacement stress, loss of extended family connections, experiences of isolation, and identity changes with provider role. A thematic map also is created illustrating how the stress of displacement and being far away from extended families profoundly influence provider identities and family interactions. In addition, the contextual model of family stress is used to customize fathers� experience of displacement. The inferences from this study provide guidance for marriage and family therapists, mental health practitioners, and organizations working with refugee families. / PHD / Just imagine you have to flee your home country, leaving all your physical and non-physical possessions and belongings or even members of your extended family behind, witnessing the death or missing of a significant or loved one, resettling in a new country and struggling to obtain a new social status, coping skills and suffering a stigma against your nationality. These are just a portion of the adversities that refugee fathers have endured (other family members suffer in different ways) in host countries such as the US. Syrian refugee fathers in this study were forced to live in a new country wherein they cannot speak the language and have to rely on their children to communicate with others. As the only providers of their families in Syria, they struggle with financial strains. Consequently, their wives (almost in half of the cases) have to work outside the home in order to cover the household expenses ideally; they could rely on their extended family’s help and support if they were in their own country. Such experiences are stressful for Syrian refugee fathers with damaging effects for their identity as fathers and their family dynamics. Family therapists, mental health practitioners, and organizations working with refugee families can benefit from findings of this study to provide better services for their targeted populations.

This thesis is specially concerned with the section of the Church now called Mar Thoma Syrian Church; it has therefore to leave out of consideration the various groups which live apart from that section, once the occasions of separation have been noticed. Thus we shall see that the Syrian Church has a loose-knit unity until 1653; for the last fifty years that period under Roman Control. Then about half of the Christians became Jacobite in allegiance. The work of the Christian Missionary Society, missionaries in the nineteenth century, led the coversion of a few families to the Anglican faith and the formation of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church. We shall see more about this Church later on in this thesis.

Since 2011, the brutal and complex war in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands of people and created millions of refugees. This dismaying and rapidly unfolding crisis has contributed to the biggest movement of people through the continent since the Second World War. The United Kingdom was one of many destinations for Syrian refugees seeking protection. With this, members of the Syrian community have come together to provide support to newly arrived Syrian refugees. Literature documenting the mental health difficulties that Syrian refugees present with and the range of support provided by these community services remains severely limited. In the context of this gap, the overall aim of this study was to explore the psychological needs with which Syrian refugees in the UK present, as well as the service provision responses to these needs. In order to do this, the research utilised a qualitative methodology and elicited in-depth data from multiple perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the inductive thematic analysis generated the following themes: Pre-displacement challenges; Displacement challenges; Post-displacement challenges; Coping and Resilience; Service providers' role and Challenges for contextually appropriate mental health care. The findings of this study suggested that Syrian refugees in the United Kingdom present with wide range of mental health needs, including struggles caused by exposure to brutal conflict, violence, multiple losses and cultural stressors. Findings stated that community services are providing an array of basic and social support; however, mental health needs are unmet. Barriers to accessing mental health resources in the UK have been addressed and the need to develop a multi-layered, culturally sensitive response to Syrian refugees' mental health difficulties has been identified. The Discussion proposed the need to support community services in order to raise awareness, enhance Syrian refugees' psychological well-being and inform the development of culturally sensitive mental health services. With the growing number of Syrian refugees in the UK, this research has provided a contextualisation of this population's culture, religion, resilience, coping strategies and mental health needs from the provider perspective, which is important to improve awareness and identify specific issues contributing to mental health well-being. Recommendations are suggested for developing culturally sensitive mental health services for Syrian refugees, alongside acknowledging limitations of the research and suggestions for further investigation and practice.

The aim of this research is to reflect on how Syrian TV drama has worked to produce a narrative of 9 society in the context of a liberalized autocracy, such as Bashar al-Asad's Syria appears to be; and how this narrative has been commodified for and promoted on the Pan Arab market. My work focuses on the mechanism by which this form of elite cultural production, in tune with the agenda of the political elites, has elaborated and projected disciplinary and pedagogical messages for the Syrian public. It analyses the forms this subtle mechanism has taken in a market-oriented framework, where neoliberal "fantasies of accommodation and order"6 and for the thrill of consumption and a free choice between a range of lifestyles have given those in power novel ways of inducing compliance, while at the same time spreading new fears of the threat of instability and disorder in an increasingly complex and difficult to comprehend world.

Humans and horses weaved together wonderful stories of adventure and generosity. As a part of human history and civilization, Arabian horses ignite imagination throughout the world. Populations of this breed exist in many countries. Here I explored different populations of Arabians representing Middle Eastern and Western populations. The main two aims of this study were to provide the genetic diversity description of Arabians from different origins and to examine the traditional classification system of the breed. A third aim was to tackle the distribution pattern of the genetic variability within the genome to show whether there are differences in relative variability of different types of markers. First, I analyzed the genetic structure of 537Arabian horses from seven populations by using microsatellites. The results consistently showed higher levels of diversity within the Middle Eastern populations compared to the Western populations. All American-Arabians showed differentiation from Middle Eastern populations. Second, I sequenced the whole mtDNA D-loop of 251 Arabian horses. The whole D-loop sequence was more informative than using just the HVR1. Native populations from the Middle East, such as Syrian, represented a hot spot of genetic diversity. Most importantly, there was no evidence that the Arabian horse breed has clear subdivisions depending on the traditional maternal based strain classification system. Third, I tested the heterozygosity distribution pattern along the genome of 22 Peruvian Paso horses using 232 microsatellites and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). The pattern of genetic diversity was completely different between these two markers where no correlation was found. Runs of homozygosity test of SNPs and associated microsatellites noticeably showed that all of associated microsatellites loci were homozygous in the matched case. The findings of this study will help in understanding the evolutionary history and developing breeding and conservation programs of horses. This study provided databases including parentage testing system and maternal lineages that will help to recover the Syrian Arabian population after the armed conflict started in Syria in 2011. The results here can be applied not only to horses, but also to other animal species with similar criteria.

Background: The recent uprisings in Syria have displaced many individuals within and outside the country. Despite the large number of people affected by the war, little research captures their experiences. The literature in this area is predominantly of a statistical nature. This is problematic in the field of Counselling Psychology, which moves away from diagnosis to focus on individual experiences. Aim: The aim of this study is to understand the subjective experiences of Syrian refugees in the UK, particularly the strategies that have aided them in coping with these experiences. Research has indicated therapeutic benefits for the communication of coping strategies. Methodology: The research utilised a qualitative methodology, adapting principles of Narrative Inquiry. A total of three males participated in the research. Each participant was asked one opening question prior to beginning his story. Prompting questions were developed according to the content of each narrative. Each interview was transcribed and analysed in Arabic, which was the language spoken in the interviews. An inductive thematic analysis was utilised to analyse each transcript independently. Analysis: Each participant's story was presented separately, as the themes from each narrative differed from the rest. Essam's narrative was identified as consisting of five principal themes; 'Situation in Syria', 'Searching for a Better Place to Settle', 'Journey from Jordan to the United Kingdom', 'Support and Coping Strategies' and 'Feelings'. Mustafa's transcript was analysed as containing four principal themes; 'Experiences of the War While in Syria', 'Support and Coping Strategies', 'Impact of the War on Health' and 'Coming to the United Kingdom'. Talal's interview was analysed as covering six principal themes; 'Political Opinion', 'Experience of Being in the Army', 'Working to Help and Guide Others', 'Escaping from Syria', 'Life in the United Kingdom' and 'Support and Coping Strategies'. Conclusion: This research generates further understanding of the subjective experiences of Syrian refugees residing in the United Kingdom, which can inform future psychological interventions with this population. The participants' descriptions of various coping strategies that helped them with their experiences may help guide practitioners to understand potential barriers to treatment. Furthermore, cultural differences were identified which could also aid in understanding why Syrians may not attempt to access psychological support. Recommendations are suggested for working psychologically with Syrian refugees, alongside acknowledging limitations of the research and suggestions for further investigation and practice.

The Syrian Civil War has displaced millions of Syria’s inhabitants both around the region and throughout the world. These individuals carry different experiences, views, and perceptions regarding what they have left and their views on the conflict. This study seeks to identify the dominant frames used by 11 Syrian diaspora individuals living in Sweden when framing the Syrian Civil War. It also aims to identify individuals' views of the civil war. The study uses a qualitative framing analysis and applies Kuyper’s function of frames in a total of 11 semi- structured interviews. The study examines interviewees' frames regarding (a) The Arab Spring demonstrations, (b) The Syrian regime, and (c) International Interests. The study found the following frames on (a) horria (freedom), shohada al-thowra (martyrs of the revolution), extremist opposition, (b) dictatorial, dictatorship, fakher (pride), and (c) natural resources, the USA and Russia. The study argues that interviewees adopt different frames based on three factors, (I) media consumption, (II) sectarian affiliation, and (III) geographical origin. / Inbördeskriget i Syrien har fördrivit miljontals av Syriens invånare både runt om i regionen och över hela världen. Dessa individer har olika erfarenheter, åsikter och uppfattningar och syn på konflikten. Denna studie syftar till att identifiera dominerande gestaltningar som används av 11 syriska diaspora-individer som bor i Sverige vid gestaltning av det syriska inbördeskriget. Studien syftar också till att identifiera individers syn på inbördeskriget. I studien används en kvalitativ gestaltningsanalys och tillämpar Kuypers funktion av gestaltningar i totalt 11 semistrukturerade intervjuer. Studien granskar respondenternas gestaltningar angående (a) demonstrationerna under den Arabiska Våren (b) den Syriska regimen och (c) internationella intressen. Studien fann följande gestaltningar (a) horria (frihet), shohada al-thowra (revolutionens martyrer), extremistisk opposition, (b) diktatur, diktatur, fakher (stolthet) och (c) naturresurser, USA och Ryssland. Studien hävdar att intervjuade antar olika gestaltning baserat på tre faktorer, (I) mediekonsumtion, (II) sekteristisk tillhörighet och (III) geografiskt ursprung.

Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis five years ago Syria, its neighbouring countries as well as the western world have been affected by the tremendous casualties brought about by the war. The thesis examines various forms and scale of these casualties, namely the economic, social, political and environmental implications. In its first part the thesis identifies true reasons and motives behind the Syrian crisis so that one can understand actions taken by involved actors. Subsequent to it is a detailed presentation of data on economic and social consequences of the Syrian war. Having all the crucial information on table the third chapter attempts to answer a hypothesis that Syria despite the still ongoing bloody conflict holds big potential for dynamic and long-term economic growth. The thesis could be useful for those seeking independent perspective on the crisis as well as for those who are looking for entrepreneurial opportunities in the after-war Syria.

Since the start of the Syrian war, Jordan has received many Syrian refugees with around 650,000 Syrians now residing in the country. As the state has received a lot of help from the international community, funding refugee camps and providing basic necessities, a lot of international humanitarian practitioners have come to Jordan to work alongside Jordanian and Middle Eastern practitioners. The situation therefore has brought practitioners from different academic, professional and geographical backgrounds together to work with people of a different cultural background than their own. Syrians represent a vast diversity in terms of ethnic, religious, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds. Research have addressed that practitioners’ sensitivity to how cultural complexities may influence social problems can facilitate a better understanding of the client’s path to recovery. The purpose of our study was to increase the knowledge of mental health and psychosocial support practitioners’ understanding and experience of a culturally sensitive social work in Amman, Jordan and discuss how this affects their practice with Syrian refugees. Through qualitative interviews we found that the practitioners’ perception of Arab culture as one and the same makes culture a non-issue in terms of cultural diversity, and that this perception influence the practice with Syrian refugees in a number of ways.