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

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. KEYWORDS refugees; marriage; divorce; forced migration; digital technologies; mobile phones Cet article explore la maniere dont les jeunes refugies syriens en Jordanie, qui ont grandi en utilisant les technologies de I'information et de la communication, se servent d'lnternet comme d'un espace prive ou s'expriment les emotions et les pratiques relatives a la vie intime et conjugale. Nous nous penchons sur la maniere dont les nouvelles technologies et les medias sociaux inf luencent les perceptions et les experiences des refugies en matiere de mariage et de divorce au cours de leur deplacement. A partir d'entretiens approfondis avec des femmes syriennes rurales de la province de Deraa vivant dans le nord de la Jordanie, notre recherche met en lumiere les multiples facons dont ces femmes adoptent les technologies emergentes. En outre, nous demontrons comment la technologie influence les recits et les pratiques genrees autour du mariage et du divorce.
INTRODUCTION Technology is important in our lives. Technology offers many opportunities and is an invention that has facilitated human life. Technology also offers the possibility to interact socially, and it [...]