Social capital in Syrian small entrepreneurs

In this study, Syrian small entrepreneurs were examined by considering the phenomenon of social capital and migration together. Considering the social capital change they had before and after the migration, it was aimed to reveal what kind of opportunities and opportunities the Syrian small entrepreneurs living in Mersin acquired through their existing social capital, with which networks and how they realized their capital accumulation. By examining the existence and self-creation processes of Syrian entrepreneurs, it will be clarified with their ability to use existing networks and with which networks they create their social capital. The universe of this study, which was prepared using the qualitative research method, consists of Syrian entrepreneurs in Mersin. A snowball sample was reached to 24 Syrian business owners, who started entrepreneurship by opening businesses in different sectors and generally had a low level of education. In-depth interviews were conducted with semi-structured open-ended questions. In line with the findings obtained as a result of the field research conducted in this context, it has been determined that the social networks, which are of great importance for Syrian entrepreneurs in Mersin, are the source of the formation of stronger ties by creating closed networks among themselves. As a result, it has been understood that social capital has a significant effect on the entrepreneurial activities of Syrian immigrants and this study has seen that it has a positive role in the formation of the ethnic economy.