Examination of food consumption and purchasing behaviours of syrian immigrants in Şanliurfa province on the basis of consumer acculturation

This master's thesis aims to examine the food consumption behaviours of Syrian migrants under temporary protection living in Şanlıurfa within the framework of consumer acculturation. The study analyses the extent to which immigrant individuals move away from their traditional eating habits and the extent to which they adapt to the food culture of the host society. In this context, the relationships between the strategies preferred in the acculturation process (integration, assimilation, separation, marginalisation) and the consumption behaviours of individuals were evaluated. The main material of the study was a questionnaire form developed by the researcher and the thesis advisor and adapted to Turkish and Arabic languages. The AIDAM scale, which aims to measure the level of harmony between traditional and modern eating habits of individuals, was used as a measurement tool. The questionnaire form included a total of 50 statements regarding the socio-demographic characteristics of individuals and their level of nutritional acculturation. Within the scope of the study, a face-to-face survey was conducted with 412 people to represent approximately 273 thousand Syrian individuals under temporary protection in Şanlıurfa. The data were analysed using SPSS software; independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to evaluate the differences between groups. The nutritional acculturation score was calculated using a scoring system based on the responses to Turkish and Syrian dietary practices. According to the findings of the study, the majority of the participants were loyal to traditional Syrian food. However, it was found that especially young, male, single and highly educated individuals showed a higher level of adaptation to Turkish-type eating habits. This situation reveals that cultural flexibility and bidirectional acculturation strategy are more prominent in some groups. It was also observed that the adaptation to Turkish cuisine increased with the increase in the time spent in Turkey. The findings obtained in the context of nutritional acculturation show that the food consumption preferences of immigrants are shaped not only by economic or physiological needs, but also by the preservation of cultural identity, social cohesion efforts and sense of belonging.