Introduction:
The family is the core of the psychological and social structure of Syrian society, and it is the primary incubator of identity, belonging, and moral balance.
Through more than a decade of war and systematic violence, the Syrian family has been subjected to profound turmoil affecting its structure, functions, and symbolic role. Its psychological balance has been disrupted, the system of trust has eroded, and the image of the homeland and belonging has been shattered in the minds of younger generations.
With the prospect of liberation opening up in Syria and the transition of the conflict to a phase of reconstruction, the need for a scientific approach that addresses the most important pillar of national recovery—the psychological identity of the Syrian family—emerges.
A balanced state cannot be established unless the family recovers psychologically and rebuilds itself as a source of meaningful and constructive security and true civic loyalty.
This paper aims to present a comprehensive scientific vision for decision-makers on ways to rebuild the psychological identity of the Syrian family. This vision is achieved by analyzing the psychological and social factors causing the breakdown, reviewing approaches to recovery, and proposing practical policies that ensure the transition from pain to balance, and from fragmentation to national unity.
Theoretical Framework: Family Psychological Identity: Between Theory and Reality
Erikson (1968) defines identity as the integrated sense of self across time, formed through an individual’s interaction with their social and cultural environment.
From this perspective, the family becomes the primary institution for building this sense of internal consistency, as it provides the child with criteria for acceptance, loyalty, and belonging.
Social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) argues that belonging to a specific group is a fundamental element in constructing the social self, and that disruption of this belonging leads to distortion of personal identity. When the Syrian family suffers from a disintegration of values and symbols, this disruption is directly transmitted to the national level, fragmenting the sense of collective belonging.
In group psychology, Volkan (1997) refers to the concept of “large group identity,” meaning the association of individuals with a national, religious, or historical group that forms part of their sense of self. When a group experiences repeated traumas, such as wars or divisions, “collective psychological wounds” are formed, leaving long-lasting scars. Society can only heal these wounds through a balanced collective retelling of its memories.
In the same context, Daniel Bar-Tal (2003) asserts that if the collective memory of suffering is not reframed in constructive ways, it transforms into a “culture of violence” that reproduces hatred and isolation, a phenomenon that many Syrian families have witnessed in recent years.
Based on these theoretical frameworks, rebuilding the psychological identity of the Syrian family becomes a dual-dimensional project: simultaneously psychosocial and national-political.
The Effects of War on the Psychological Structure of the Syrian Family:
The years of war have caused complex traumas that have impacted all elements of family identity.
The first is the erosion of the sense of security, a pillar of the family’s psychological structure (Herman, 1992). The loss of security creates disturbances in trust and attachment, and leads to a decline in the sense of self-control, especially among children and women.
The second is the loss of paternal and maternal roles and symbols, as many fathers have become fighters, displaced persons, or victims, thus collapsing the family’s reference structure. Studies by Miller and Rasmussen (2010) show that daily post-war stresses, such as poverty, displacement, and lack of services, sometimes have a greater impact on mental health than the scenes of violence themselves, perpetuating frustration and persistent helplessness.
The third is the shift in the social value system. The war introduced patterns of utilitarian survival, and the boundaries between “right and wrong” have blurred. This has created generations living in a real value vacuum. This, in turn, has led to intergenerational conflict within the family. One generation lived with pre-war values, while the other was raised in a chaotic and turbulent reality.
Fourth, alienation and psychological division. Many Syrian families lived in refugee or displacement environments, and their members were divided between multiple societies and cultures, creating a conflict in emotional and belonging references. This is what Volkan (1997) described as “dual identity shock,” meaning the tension between partial identities and the original identity.
These factors explain the transformation of the Syrian family from an “environment of safety” to an “environment of anxiety,” and from an “institution of values” to a “space of resistance and symbolic conflict.” Therefore, any reconstruction project must begin from within this damaged psychological structure.
Family Recovery Psychology:
Judith Herman (1992) explains that the process of recovery from trauma goes through three basic stages:
- Restoring safety—securing a stable environment that protects individuals from reliving the traumatic experience.
- Conscious retelling and remembrance—transforming traumatic memory into critical awareness rather than psychological revenge.
- Reconnecting with the community, the pinnacle of recovery, when the individual finds a new meaning of belonging.
In the Syrian case, these stages are manifested in the need to transform family narratives from “stories of suffering and victimhood” to “stories of resilience, responsibility, and hope.” Reframing family memory in a positive way restores self-confidence and paves the way for a new citizenship.
Betancourt et al.’s (2010) studies on children affected by war have also shown that group psychosocial support programs and education on hope contribute significantly to improving psychological and social adjustment. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2016) supports this approach by emphasizing the integration of mental health and community support services into reconstruction and development programs, not just relief programs. This means that psychological recovery is not a narrow medical mission, but rather a comprehensive national policy.
The Syrian Family as a Space for Renewing Values:
The family after liberation, as a therapeutic entity, is an educational project for rebuilding the Syrian individual.
From a political sociology perspective, the family constitutes a “microsystem of authority and values” (Galtung, 1996). When this authority is reshaped on the basis of participation, respect, and justice, it becomes a microcosm of the healthy state to which Syrians aspire.
Conversely, if authoritarianism or fear is reproduced within the family, old authoritarian patterns will be passed on to the new generation.
Herein lies the importance of “psychological re-education for citizenship” within the family, school, and media, which promotes the principle of free, not forced, belonging, and openness, not isolation.
Therefore, the real challenge in the post-liberation phase is not just to restore buildings, but to reshape the Syrian individual as a balanced and active citizen in his society.
From Family to Homeland… Collective Identity:
Psychological identity expands from the family to the community, then to the homeland.
If the family is the first mirror through which a child perceives the meaning of belonging, then the homeland is the greatest extension of that meaning.
The literature on collective memory (Bar-Tal, 2003) emphasizes that societies emerging from conflict need a “new national narrative” that reintegrates lost meanings. Volkan (1997) proposes the concept of “collective psychological wounds,” which can only be healed through symbolic, educational, and community rituals that recreate shared hope.
Hence, the role of the Syrian family after liberation goes beyond daily care to producing a new national discourse within the home!
The mother’s talk of hope, the father’s model of respect for the law, and the intergenerational dialogue about the meaning of homeland—these small details are the seeds of a collective Syrian identity.
Galtung (1996) emphasizes that positive peace is not achieved by silencing guns alone, but rather by establishing an internal culture of psychological and societal justice.
Therefore, family recovery is part of the civil peace project, not a secondary complement.
Conclusion:
Based on all of the above, we at the Presidency Office of the Syrian Future Movement recommend eight specific proposals for decision-makers:
- Launching a national program to rebuild family identity:
Managed in partnership between experts in psychology, sociology, and media, it focuses on empowering families to overcome trauma and build values of trust and belonging. - Integrating psychosocial education into school curricula:
So that children learn skills to cope with loss, express emotions, forgive, and respect each other. - Establishing community psychological support centers for families:
Similar to the model recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2016), these centers provide family counseling services and training programs for parents and teachers. - Reorienting family media:
From inflammatory rhetoric to a discourse of recovery and empowerment.
Media is a tool for building collective awareness if employed intelligently and responsibly. - Activating applied scientific research:
By establishing a research unit to monitor psychological and social indicators and conducting field research to inform policy. - National awareness campaigns on a unified Syrian identity:
Highlighting shared values and restoring trust among citizens, based on positive diversity and social justice. - Empowering women as a focus for recovery:
Research has shown that women are often more capable of transmitting new values to children (Roberts et al., 2011). Psychological and educational support for women increases the chances of family recovery. - Enhancing cooperation between governmental and civil society institutions:
To ensure that family policies become part of the national reconstruction process, rather than separate or temporary initiatives.
Rebuilding the psychological identity of the Syrian family represents a cornerstone of the project to rebuild Syria itself.
True liberation is only complete through liberating the conscience from fear and loss, and restoring confidence in oneself and in the future.
The experiences of people emerging from conflict (Rwanda, Bosnia, Iraq) have proven that psychological recovery is the prerequisite for any political stability or economic development. The family is the primary space in which the values of inner peace, citizenship, and solidarity are cultivated.
Hence, investing in “family mental health” is not a humanitarian luxury, but rather a comprehensive national security policy. The more the family heals, the more the nation heals.
the reviewer:
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- Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations (pp. 33–47). Brooks/Cole.
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- Syrian Future Movement – Office of Family Affairs. (2025). Preliminary vision for family and identity reconstruction. Internal paper (unpublished).
