Temporality and futurity of the forgotten: everyday lives of Syrian refugees in Scotland amid Covid-19 pandemic

This study explores the coexistence of multiple and radically distinctive, yet rhythmic worlds, that Syrian refugees resettling in the Scotland found themselves within during the pandemic. Methodologically this study applies rhythmanalysis as a critical phenomenological perspective within which being a refugee during the pandemic is not just a legal status or a social condition, but a ‘mode of being in the world’ that is radically different from any of their past lived experiences.

We used a combination of audio-narrated solicited diaries and photovoice to explore the complexity of everyday life of Syrian refuges. The participants were asked (using iPods - supplied) to visually capture or audially reflect on their day-to-day, spatial and nonspatial, encounters to show the realities of everyday life. The audio and photo entries show the state of being, contemplation on expectations, searching but not seeing, convalescing the broken rhythms of everyday life during the pandemic. Our findings shows that all participants were actively involved in recreation of everyday rhythms – however the realities of Covid-19 lockdown and social experiences of post Covid-19 has resulted in a continuous cycle of formation, deformation, reformation of everyday rhythms in lives of Syrian Refugees. From visual art point of view there is an overarching theme of ‘emptiness’, where the time and space has merged into the notion of nostalgia of what once was and horror of what now is - portraying a dire rescue effort in search for belonging and notion of home.